A Thief At Heart
by Venquine1990
Summary: Carmelita is in a pickle. Her boss is a jerk, her intended target has become the love of her life and she hasn't been together with her family for years. So when she decides to confront both her enemy/crush and her family through a new friend, what consequences will this have. A new job, more family and lessons from the other side of the law that she never imagined. THAT'S WHAT!
1. The Salon - Part 01

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **This story is dedicated to Kitty Petro, a fanfiction author who writes AMAZING Sly Cooper Stories. I got this idea from her series: The Perfect Birthday Present, A Thief is Born, It Takes A Thief and A Tale Of Two Thieves. So far I have read up to chapter 12 of It Takes A Thief and I am BEYOND amazed at her brilliance.  
**_ _ **Now, we know from how Sly remembered his first meeting with Carmelita in the Sly Cooper Series that Barkley wasn't always the friendliest towards Carmelita and we know that Barkley was pretty quick to believe Neyla over Carmelita and even – through PR-management – make her an actual captain of the bloody place.  
**_ _ **So, what if Barkley really is that bad of a guy? What if Carmelita never hated Sly, but used him because Barkley was just too powerful a foe for her to take out? And what even her family got involved in it? Alongside someone I invented thanks to – again – Kitty Petro and her downright amazing Sly Cooper story series.  
**_ _ **Well, let's find out,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Family Traditions**_

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

My name is Carmelita Montoya Fox. I am 26 years old and I work for Interpol as an Inspector of the Law. My boss is Chief Barkley. My family also works for Interpol, but then at different sections, under different bosses and during different times of the day. As such, I have not seen all of them together in 3 years.  
And two and a half of those three have been an absolutely terrible nightmare, with great thanks to Chief Barkley himself, who sneakily makes it so that, even if my department is to work alongside that of my family, we ourselves do not and who has also – 2 ½ years ago – made the comment that made my life the hell it is today.

I strongly remember that day, only a few days before I was assigned to Rajan's party, when Barkley came into the cafeteria of Interpol to meet with me and re-teach me what it meant to be an Interpol Inspector. His words then ruined everything as they were spoken in front of a whole bunch of hormonal driven men.  
"An Interpol Officer always uses any means and assets they have to catch their criminals." The man had said and while he then – to my shock – aimed for my face, my cleavage and lady parts, did he angrily and with power say: "So _start using those_!" Pointing to each of my so called assets while saying the last three words.  
That, to the hormonal driven men of Interpol, was pretty much a green light signal that I was nothing short of Interpol's harlot and all of them started, one after the other, to try and get me to go on a date with them, only because they wanted me to end up in bed with them. Oh, and if you think I got any female help, think again.  
No, the women of Interpol, while not lusting after me, slapping me on the rear, attempting to undo the zipper of my shirt or trying to undress me with their eyes and grin, did nothing to help me as most of the men after me – were men they believed potential boyfriends, making them believe I was stealing away their lovers and whatnot.

Still, the worst of it all – bar the fact that I never got the chance to report any of this to my family – is that outside of the office, when I am out in the field, I actually meet with someone who is kind, gentle, loving and very appreciative of everything I do while working – and I return that kindness with fowl words and insults all the time.  
Yes, Sly Cooper may be a thief, but he is also the most gentlemen-like person I have ever met and to constantly burden him with my troubles by rebuking everything nice he has ever said about me, insulting him and attempting to arrest him just so I can relieve my stress and anger from headquarters is filling me up with guilt.  
Yet the handsome Raccoon seems used to it by now, as if he expects me to insult him and that only hurts even more. Because of that am I where I am today. In Salon C'est Magnifique, where the beautiful and ever famous brown cobra Madame Urmilla Svetlana has kindly agreed to help me with my latest little plan.

The plan I have involves Sly Cooper and while it had been a great shock to me to hear that Urmilla also knew Sly and even considered him a brother as she always designed and fixed any of his actual outfits, something she hid from the actual crowd as it would damage her reputation more than necessary, was I happy nonetheless.  
The cobra with stunning green eyes had even grown – as she said – to consider me a little sister as well, even though I was older than both her and Sly, Sly being one year older than her and me four, and we had devised the rest of the plan together, working solely for one base goal; Sly's twenty-third Birthday Party.

The plan had definitely met a few hitches as I had been told by Urmilla to leave my car at home during the planning and whatnot as the car actually had an Interpol Radio within it and we didn't want Barkley sticking his ugly nose where it didn't belong. Another had been my emotional problems, especially missing my family.  
Urmilla had also solved this, telling me of a room where she actually had a remote control camera installed instead of the usual security cameras as this was the same room Sly always came to her for, not to be detected and still to be able to get new cloths or his old ones fixed. There was also a room showing off the video images.  
I had instantly invited my mother and while she, papa and my siblings weren't all that fond to join in on a thief's birthday party, had I not told them who the thief was and had they still taken the chance, having wanted to be together as a family again as much as I did, which had made me teary eyed for a good hour afterwards.

The last hurdle we had found was as to how we could present the results of our plan to Sly and while my parents, my brother Cheren and my sister Helena, are in the video viewing room as we speak, am I seated on a chair with my arms behind my back and my face in a dark, furious frown – one that is as fake as that ice is hot.  
The reason I am like this is because I am supposed to be the unwanted – from my point – birthday present to one Sly Cooper, the outfit created by Madam Svetlana purposely designed to further perfection the brilliance of the gift – even if I was actually the one to propose the idea of making me said birthday gift in the first place.  
I decided to make it look as if it was Urmilla's idea for the very simple reason that Sly believes I hate and despise the very ground he walks on and it will seem more natural for the Raccoon if he first comes across my resisting, angered form instead of seeing me arrive here, willing to be in his presence without my shock-pistol.  
This had been something that Urmilla had not been very happy to agree with and my parents hadn't been entirely sure they wanted me at the mercy of a Thief, yet I had assured them that I would only play to be tied up like that, while in truth my hands would be free to move however I pleased, whenever I pleased.

Stationed around me are several of the girls that are working for Urmilla and that have – like me – known Sly for the last five years and while I sincerely hope that them having known this thief will appease my parents when they finally find out his identity, do I practice a bit of fake struggling while awaiting my thief.  
The idea that I consider him my thief is one I know my parents won't be very happy to hear, yet it is for two reasons that I consider Sly so. One is because I have, over the last few years, been the only real cop to ever be on his case and the second is because Sly is the only person – professional-wise – to ever treat me respectfully.

Then, thanks to years of working against the Raccoon, do my sensitive ears pick up on a very familiar set of steps; one of them coming from something sounding like wheels, another light and very agile and the third strong and fierce, while the fourth, which is also light and proves the owner to be small kind of confuses me.  
Knowing this last one not to be Amanda, who had been assigned to direct Sly to this here birthday party, do I wonder if – perhaps – Sly has taken the Guru out of Australia as that was the last location where Sly and I had met – and where I had actually given in to the anger I always released on him, attempting to murder him.  
Hating how I had nearly succeeded, do I feel my heart beat an extra time in gratitude as the Mercenary apes had been reluctant to admit that it had been Sly who had freed me of the item – the Mask of Dark Earth – that had possessed me and had actually made me grow twenty foot tall while manipulating me into my attempt of murder.

I then focus back on the situation at hand and with my head motion Urmilla for the activation of the camera, having a pretty strong feeling that my family has already seen Sly enter the building through another camera. The Cobra nods and just when she presses the button to activate the camera, does Amanda walk in.  
Instantly I smirk and while she converses with Urmilla, do I whisper: "Showtime, my lady friends." All of the girls around me smirking before they all attach looks of worry and guilt and trepidation on their faces, making me feel like rewarding them with an Emmy before starting my own set of acting, making my struggling become real.  
I then hear Sly's suave voice enter the room as he says: "Urmilla, it's been too long, chéri." And the smooth aristocratic voice of the cobra answers playfully: "Sly, you silly boy. You came to me only months ago to acquire your costumes for your trip to Venice – which I see was a great success. Welcome back, Murray dearest."  
The Hippo then speaks and says: "Aw shucks, it's good to be back, Urmilla. And congrats, you know, with your brother's birthday." This alone makes me have to press down on a happy smile as the fact that Murray calls Sly Urmilla's brother so easily proves again what an amazing bond has been formed between the two.

"You too, chéri, you too. Oh and – eh – Sly. I – Ah – that is to say, I have – what they call – a problem, you see?" By now I have to work my hardest not to burst out giggling as Urmilla is putting it on just enough to make it sound problematic, but not enough to make Sly realize she is playing him and the Raccoon asks:  
"What's the problem, Sis? Any burglars trying to take away your latest Summer Collection?" At this I just know that the Raccoon has his arms crossed and his cane in hand to prove he will instantly fight down thugs like that should they try. This makes me wish Urmilla would hurry up as my caring for Sly makes my acting harder to do.  
Urmilla, it seems, has read my thoughts as she says: "Non chéri, far from it. The thieves of Paris are well aware how high you have me and have not touched my designs in illegal fashion for as long as we have known each other. No, it – well – it is the present I had decided to put together for your birthday, my brother dearest."

"Aw Urmilla, you didn't have to get me anything. Just giving me this amazing party at your fabulous place is enough, really." Sly then says and my heart again soars at how amazingly noble and kind the Raccoon is before I decide that enough is enough and with a lot of force do I grunt in effort and throw my hat off my head.  
The hat itself is actually quite like Sly's but then a dark russet brown, which compliments well with my bluish black hair and can easily be concealed in the shadows. I already know from the way that I made sure to throw it that it is now landing away from the girls surrounding me and in front of the earlier speaking raccoon.  
The talking ceases and Urmilla lets out a worried moan as she says: "You see, mon chéri, here I was preparing the loveliest gift I could think of for you, yet I had to be very sneaky and hush-hush about it as I felt it would otherwise ruin everything. However, my gift for you caught onto my plans and – well – ladies, if you will?"

And with that do I know that the show is really about to start, making me intensify my fake buckling and twirling of the chair on which I am supposedly bound, all the while catching the shocked gazes of one Sly Cooper, one Bentley Turtle, one Murray the Hippo and one Guru, who all have wide eyes and gaping mouths.  
I struggle for a little longer, making sure to keep my legs firmly against the chairs not just to keep the ruse up, but to also help me in my acting attempts to get loose and then, while faking to give up this attempt, do I pant in exhaustion – as acting like this feels like a draining challenge – and give Cooper my patented glare.  
The ringtail's eyes are wide as saucers and his gaze flicks over my form again and again, part of me hoping he won't spot how I am actually made up just enough to give my face some more grandness, yet not enough to really make the make-up stand out, but I can easily tell that the Raccoon has more eyes for my new attire.

A dark velvet brown shirt that is just the shade of brown it actually makes my blonde and orange colored fur look like mahogany is covering my cleavage, waist and upper arms, yet this part is also covered by a brownish black leather jacket which covers all of my upper and lower arms and is opened at the front.  
Under this, the shirt actually curves up at my waist, causing for just enough skin at my navel to be shown before the rest is covered up with a pair of rust brown jeans that look even darker in the light of the moon – so Urmilla and I checked – and a pair of dark orange brown boots with black metal buckles tying them up.  
Combined with the hat I just threw off and the dark black mask that is now covering my upper face, but leaving a pair of half circular shaped holes for my chocolate brown eyes to peek through, do I look like a female version of the master thief that is currently standing in front of me, his eyes checking out every part of my outfit over and over.

Knowing that my parents are watching this, do I start the charade that will hopefully get me the chance I want to tell Sly exactly why I started this whole thing and say: "Cooper, you lowlife mongrel. When I get out of these binds, I will give you exactly what you deserve, birthday boy. Now! Let! Me! Out! Of! Here!"  
I emphasize every last word with another tug to one side of my chair and the other, but fake to the best of my ability of being unable to get loose from ties that aren't even really there, yet it seems my acting is sublime enough Sly is not noticing that – and that the Raccoon is finally getting a hint of what is actually going on here.

Instantly the honey brown eyes of my actual fling turn smooth instead of shocked and while he twirls his cane out of the holder on his back, swirls it in his hand and then leans against it with one hand behind his back to keep its tip on the floor, does he smirk at me with that telltale grin he thinks annoys me as he says:  
"But my pretty, precious inspector. If I were to let you go, I would be going against all that my dearest Urmilla worked so hard on, including that absolutely fabulous outfit you are currently wearing. Very dashing, very dashing indeed, mi amore." And while trying not to show how flattered I am with his compliments, do I growl and say:  
"Cooper, you can smooth-talk all you want, buster, it will not change your situation one bit. Now untie me at once or face the consequences, ringtail." But it seems that while I was talking, Sly was already analyzing the situation and coming up with some plans of his own as he waggles one of his glove-clad fingers and says:

"I - don't think so." He then, strangely enough, turns to one of the girls and asks her: "Can I have a chair be placed behind hers and a brush, please? I would like to make use of what Urmilla has so graciously presented me with." At this I let out another low growl, hoping with all that I can to make it sound convincing.  
The Raccoon, bless him, doesn't seem fazed by this however and while my guilt again begins to eat at me, do I push it down with the thoughts about the final step of my plan and think: "Just a little more. This is all for the best of both worlds. Just a little more." And while I think this, does the girl fetch the requested items.  
Then suddenly Sly walks over and while fearing that he will notice that my hands aren't really tied once he gets behind me, do I struggle again as he walks, making sure to cover my hands with as much of my unbraided hair as I possibly can and even with my fingers tying some of my locks around my wrists for extra security.

Sly gets his seat behind me and takes the brush offered to him by the girl he requested to fetch it and then, to my shock, does he really start to softly stroke the brush through my long locks, his free hand constantly grasping a small bit of it and then using his other to brush any possible tangles or sticky curls out of the part in his hand.  
Shivering in delight as the fingers of the hand grabbing my hair constantly brush against part of my neck and hoping I can make it look like disgust, do I lower my head, if only to make sure Cooper doesn't pay attention any lower than he does and then hear the hushing voice of my crush as he smoothly says:  
"No need to be so down, inspector. I just want to compliment Urmilla by making you look even more beautiful. It's just so that your struggling has caused for your hair to become frazzled and I just want to see it in the splendor I am used to. Is that really such a bad thing, mon Chéri?" And while hating myself for it, do I hiss:  
"Yes." But Sly ignores this and while silence rings through the room, do I know that my parents are still watching everything and do I try my best not to give in to the divine touches of the amazing ringtail as his hand gets closer and closer to my neck, his fingers now teasing and caressing the fur there as he catches my hair.

Finally, after another fifteen minutes of this – in which I almost lost my cool and blew everything just because I couldn't resist moaning in pleasure at the sensuous touches of the Raccoon behind me – does Sly stop his delicate work on my hair and does he instead stand up and actually lift my chair up from behind me.  
This shocks and draws a startled gasp from my throat before suddenly, with strength I didn't even know he had, Sly moves us so that we are on another side of the room, in front of a large mirror that is placed there and does he set me back down before wrapping his powerful arms around my waist and looking straight ahead.  
I look too, faking to try and look away before I do and gasp as the way Sly and I now look together in the mirror is something I have only been able to dream of since we got together in the chopper. Sly's grey fur is accentuated by the dark colors of my clothes and his eyes and smile make my fur look all the more beautiful.

"Just look at us, Chéri. Do we, together like this, not make for the most incredible couple you have ever seen? You are absolutely gorgeous in this incredible outfit and you actually make me look as if the only place I belong is by your side, if only to make the entire world see just what beauty you have to share with the world."

This makes me shiver, partly because Sly's hands are suavely rubbing my sides making me melt on the inside and partly because that is something I have been dreaming of for the longest time and still slightly wish I could make true, but then I sigh and while working my hardest to keep with the plan, do I ask wearily:  
"You really are intent on keeping me here, aren't you Raccoon?" And the self-confident grin and smooth words of: "You are my birthday present, no?" Are the only answer I know I will get before I decide to enter phase two of the plan and with another weary sigh, mostly because I feel hurt over not taking Sly's offer, do I say:  
"Then can you at the very least hear me out, Cooper?" The Raccoon nods, still holding onto me with those sinfully soft rubbing hands of his and his eyes still locked onto the image we both present in the mirror before I ask: "Without looking as if you want to eat me, Raccoon." The man smirks and motions for his seat.  
Here the girl makes sure it is in front of me instead of behind me and while Sly seems averse with this, probably because he now blocks my view from the mirror, does he sit down nonetheless, me kind of surprised how he has yet to notice that no part of me is actually tied up, especially when he held me close to him like he did earlier.

I then take a deep breath, faking to steel myself, while in truth knowing that this is it and that this will be the point where – hopefully – my whole life can change for the better, even if the change might only be a small one and I say: "Look Cooper, you come from a long line of thieves and most of my family are cops."  
The Raccoon nods, his face showing his honest interest in what I have to say and while feeling flattered with how I have his devotion and full attention, do I not let this sway me as I say: "I love my family, but – but we haven't seen each other, all together, in three years time. And no, I know that is not your fault, Ringtail."

At this Sly sits back down as he had actually opened his mouth and risen from his chair a little before I say: "It's Barkley's." Sly looks shocked and I quickly continue as I say: "My father's department and mine are supposed to be in constant companionship, yet he is the one I see the least of all my family members working there.  
My brother works for the superior of Barkley and I actually overheard one of his conversations with the gents a few months ago, which was filled with Barkley throwing in small hints and tips that made Cheren's workload harder and made it so he barely even got the chance to drink coffee with me, let alone see me in person."  
By now I have no doubt that my family is catching onto the truth of my words and I hurriedly continue as I say: "My mum works for the Medics, so I barely see her anyway and my sister works for the Admin. Now normally that wouldn't be a problem, but Barkley always makes sure that her paperwork from me is triple the procedure.  
He's been slowly working up like that for the last three years and through it, he has been hoping to gap a bridge between me and Helena. And I know what you want to ask, Ringtail, but please – let me finish." The Ringtail nods, while his friends now look troubled at hearing my actual story. I take a deep breath and say:

"The reason Barkley has been doing all of this is because of how I dress. You know, the tank top, the tight jeans, the revealing outfit, the stuff. It gave Barkley the wrong image of me and – unfortunately – is Barkley not immune to Interpol's most famous department, that isn't even a real department; the blasted grapevine."  
At this everyone, especially Sly and Urmilla cringe harshly and I sigh as I say: "Barkley's been like this for 3 years now, yet he only made his real move on me 2 and a half years ago. And with that one move, Ringtail, he proved exactly what kind of man he was and how strongly he was already involved in the grapevine."  
I then shudder, not wanting to relive that memory twice in one day, but knowing it is an important part of my tale and say: "It was just a few days before Rajan's party and Barkley met with me at the cafeteria. There he decided to give me a reminder lesson of what it meant to be an Inspector for Interpol." At this Sly asks:

"He believed he had to teach someone as dedicated and talented as yourself?" At this I try not to show my actual blushing cheeks and snap: "Yes, he did, now hush." The Ringtail smiles that cocky grin of his that always gets under my skin and makes my very fur rustle with delight before I regain myself and speak on:  
"He met me there and said that it was the job of an Interpol Inspector to use any and all means and assets available to catch a criminal and while he said so, did he – like you are quite well know to yourself – rake his eyes over my form and did he actually point his finger at my face, chest and – ahem – lady parts as he – well."  
By now the eyes of the Raccoon before me have turned dark with worry and I take a deep breath, suddenly realizing how much harder it is to say it than just to think it and say: "He said that I should start using mine, all the while emphasizing the words _start using those_ with a finger pointed at those 3 spots on my person."

At this even Urmilla – from who I have kept this during my stay with her – gasps in great shock and Sly almost falls out of his chair in his own, but regains himself and then proves how much he cares for me yet again as he dashes out of his chair and over to mine, hugging me close and offering me comfort as I speak.  
"That – well – to many of the men that were there at the time, it was like a green light had suddenly been turned on for them and since then have they been working together with Barkley, who constantly pressures me whenever I don't catch you and who even has the mercenary apes I hired under his bloody little thumb."  
By now the tears of pain over what I am about to say roll down my cheeks as I have been speaking mostly to get to this part, my heart growing wearier and wearier with the guilt that it is burdened with and while Sly is now seated across my lap, his hands going up and down my back and offering me his strength, do I say:

"The – ah – the worst of it all, Sly, is – well – oh God Sly, I – I just – there –." But Sly seems to take my inability for speech the wrong way and whispers: "You're not alone, Carmelita. We'll protect you. No need to worry. You won't get those bastards against you ever again. We'll make sure of that." He then turns to the others and asks:  
"Won't we, guys?" And only then do I spare a glance to his friends, where a furious Bentley who is grinding his teeth and a softly crying Murray are standing, with Guru on Murray's shoulder, his little koala hand patting the bigger hippo's shoulder, head and back while speaking soft comforting words in his native tongue.  
All three of them look my way at this and nod, the determination to see these words coming true shining in their eyes and from behind Bentley's spectacles, making me feel a little stronger as I smile gratefully at them all and then back at the ever generous Sly, who cups my face in his hands and whispers to me:

"See, you'll be fine now, my gorgeous. You'll be fine now." But at this I shake my head, wanting again to take his offer, but knowing that my plan is the only way for everything in our lives to work and while Sly adapts a confused look on his handsome face, do I take another deep breath to steel my nerves and say:  
"Thanks for another amazing show of your deep and powerful heart, Sly, but – that's not what I was going to say when I got at a loss for words. I didn't get at a loss for words out of fear for my boss – he stopped scaring me a long time ago. I – got tongue-tied – out of guilt." The Raccoon seems even more confused and I say:  
"Oh Sly, don't you get it. This entire time you have been the only source of kindness, gentleness and protection that I could actually count on. The only one that made me feel as if my job was actually worth the time and effort I put into it. The only one that – that had the bloody decency – to make me feel as if I actually mattered."  
This makes Bentley, Murray and Guru smile in pride at their leader and Sly smiles at me as well, his eyes tender and soft brown in color as he lets another hand softly go through the fur on my cheek and says: "Of course you matter, gorgeous. Your very presence is something that makes me enjoy each and every heist."

This alone actually makes some of the guilt I felt tangling up inside me loosen and I say: "I'm glad for that, Sly, but that's exactly what I mean. No word out of your mouth isn't connected to some sweet flirt or a loving compliment. And what do I do in return for all that kindness? I shout your hide full and try to arrest you."  
"Which makes the end of the heist as exciting as the heist itself, just so you know." Sly then interrupts me, but I shake my head and say: "You're still not getting it, Sly. I – I feel guilty because – because I am using you and everything you say, everything you do, every time we meet, just to vent all my frustration from Barkley and his men.  
AND YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT!" I shout in the end as I could tell that Sly wanted to interrupt me again and the Ringtail looks highly shocked before a loving smile I had not expected shows on his face and he says: "I may not deserve it, but that you trust me that much to do so, means more to me than any treasure in the world."  
This makes me sigh again as I just can't seem to get it to that Ringtail's head how badly all that venting makes me feel and I say: "Sly, I – I do trust you. You've proven yourself so many times and at so many points where my – my fellow officers just left me and made me tend to myself regardless of my level of expertise.

But – but the fact that you are constantly enduring only my bad side when – when all I have ever seen of you is the gallant, charming, ever faithful side that you show only to me, I – I just can't live with that anymore. And – and as much as I just want to resign my job, can I just not do that either, because of my family."  
At this Sly shows me an empathic nod, which I know comes from his own need to constantly prove himself to his family's name and legacy and while hurting for the orphaned Master Thief, do I take a deep breath, glad to get the whole explanation out of the way and say: "Because of that, did I device this entire scheme."  
By now Sly looks shocked and confused and this makes me smirk like he usually does before, with a simple roll of my shoulders, I move my hands from behind my back and show them to the stunned Raccoon before easily switching my seated position so that one of my legs is crossed over the other as proof that they too are untied.

The eyes of Bentley, Sly, Murray and Guru are now wide with shock, while all of the girls around me have trouble stifling their giggles and holding back on their laughter and I say: "I was never tied, Sly. We just wanted you to feel a little more comfortable with all this so made it look like a scene you would be more understanding with.  
One where I wouldn't just waltz in here with this outfit on and a clear acceptance of who was in the room with me. I knew, from past experiences, that would just confuse and unsettle you, so I made it look like I had been caught by your friend while in truth, this entire scheme, the outfit and the hostage chair – were my idea."  
By now Bentley seems ready to fall out of his wheelchair in shock, Guru has actually slid off Murray's shoulder and Murray himself has sagged against the wall, while Sly just has a pair of bulging brown eyes aimed at me before he shakes his head and asks: "So you've been holding your hands behind your back by your own will?"  
I nod and then Sly shocks me as he quickly moves over and starts to move his hands across my back, his fingers actually massaging muscles I hadn't even known had become tense with the position they were in and while a look of clear focus is on the Raccoon's face, do I finally feel ready to show him what he really does to me.

I limply let my body lean against the chair I am still in, moaning softly from the back of my throat at the feeling of his smooth fingers against my fur and skin and while Sly gives me an award winning smile, do I work my hardest to regain my strength as I say: "Sly, you – you can lavish me all you want, just – just be patient, please."  
The Raccoon nods and while looking at me with worried gratitude, does he seat himself back in the chair in front of me and I say: "Now, it's – it's like I said. I can't live with the idea to only use our time together to vent my frustrations out on you, but – but I can't resign and go search for a different job either.  
So, well, I – I thought long and hard about this and – and I finally came with a solution that – while not ideal – will solve the issue in such a way I can finally get some mental and emotional peace during the times I need it most." Sly now looks serious, stern and understanding all at the same time as he nods and I sigh before I say:

"I – I will continue with Interpol, will make sure no one but me gets your case – mostly because I can't stand the idea of not knowing what you're up to next –." At this Sly smirks at me shortly and I say: "And – while this pains me – will I continue with what I have been doing for the last 2 ½ years – _with_ an exception."  
Sly looks at me curiously, his head tilted and giving him that cute kind of look that actually makes him look even more handsome and while feeling very proud of this part of my plan, do I lock my eyes with his and say: "The exception being that, every year, on your birthday – I will be yours to do with in any and every way you please."  
Sly looks at me shocked and I smile as I say: "It – it just sounds like the best I could come up with. I – I know it will make me continue to vent and rage against you when you really don't deserve it, but – but to know I can make that up every now and then, especially on a day as special as your birthday – it will just make me feel better, really."

Everyone looks at me with different levels of shock and admiration, tears of pride actually leaving the stunning green eyes of the cobra that has become my surrogate sister and while daring a loving look towards the beau of my life, do I gently, sweetly ask: "Well, Sly – what – what do you think? Willing to accept my proposition?"  
The Raccoon looks at me, his face suddenly as unreadable as his actual mask, something that shocks and unsettles me as Sly has always been quite the open book for my eyes to read, but then the mask seems to drop and instead of the happiness or excitement I had been expecting, do I see great worry and concern mar his face.  
This really confuses me as I had not expected these emotions to come up and then Sly stands from his seat again, moving over to mine and hugging me with a fierceness that literally takes my breath away as I just can't believe how strongly I can feel Sly's need to protect me through those muscular arms holding me as he says:

"Oh my – my sweet – my Carmelita – my ever graceful. How could you ever ask of me to accept an offer where you continue doing what you don't want or deserve. You deserve better than what Barkley causes you. You shouldn't have to continue shouldering all the anguish and heartache that man puts down on you."  
At this, from the corner of my eye, do I see Bentley and Murray nodding in agreement with their leader before Sly finally lets go off me, instead cupping my face between his hands and locking his shining brown eyes with my own, my eyes widening as I see tears of anguish actually stuck in the fur underneath his eyes.  
"Sly –." I try to say, but Sly cuts me off, his lips sealing mine and his kiss providing me with evidence of how deeply Sly's feelings for me actually go as I can almost feel his emotions flowing into my body through the hold Sly has on my mouth as he kisses me, making me actually get teary-eyed in gratitude myself.

"I can't stand to see you suffer, my gorgeous. I – I don't know how, but I will find a better solution to your problem. A way you can do your family proud, be rid of Barkley and his disgusting men, can continue to be part of my life and where you will no longer have to burden such a terrible weight of responsibility by yourself."

The Raccoon then says as he unseals his lips from mine and the determination with which he speaks, the devotion I can hear ringing through his voice, the loyalty he has to me as he speaks makes the dam on my heart burst, making me pull that amazing Ringtail against my own body as tears of loving gratitude stream down my face.  
Yet the happiness in my heart and the tears flowing down my eyes are short-lived as suddenly a voice that has my accent, yet has a stronger, more baritone sound to it, speaks from behind Bentley, Murray and Guru and determinedly says: "And I know just the way." Making the aforementioned trio jump with a shout of shock.  
I look past them and see my actual family, all of them with determination shining in their eyes, their hands fisted to prove they are holding back on serious cases of inner fury and their expressions telling me they are trying to convey their care and love for me through their actual overwhelming anger, standing in the doorway.

"Where did you come from?" Bentley shouts and I gulp as I say: "Urmilla switched the remote control camera on for this room and my parents were in the control room. It was her idea as she had noticed how much being separated from them like I was had been hurting me. I didn't tell them who's party this was, just that it was of a thief."  
Bentley looks at me shocked and while Sly looks a little flustered, obviously having not expected for all his advances on me to have been seen by my parents, does he quickly try to get away from me and does he cough with a little hint of embarrassment, the fur on his cheeks actually a darker grey due to a dark red hue covering his skin.

At this I try to stifle a giggle as the Raccoon looks quite handsomely adorable, standing like that, before I turn to my four year older brother Cheren and ask: "How?" That one word hopefully conveying how much I want him to help me and Sly get it so that the Raccoon's words might come true after all.  
My brother smiles at me, his forest green eyes which he inherited from dad, warm and filled with love as he looks at me and says: "Simple, little sis. You're still working for that jerk, because he gives you a chance around Sly and because most of us, except our precious mama here, work there as well, making it kind of tradition, non?"  
I nod at this and he continues: "Yet, while you're working for one man, is it the other – who is obviously a leader of a very powerful group here – who treats you exactly how #1 should be treating you. And to top it all, does boss #1 even have the guts to manipulate us all out of your life in ways that should be common use for #2."  
At this I can't help but let my eyes glance over to Sly, one of my eyebrows raised as I wonder what my brother could be on about and Cheren says: "So that basically makes reason #1; working for a jerk; pretty much invalid for you to stand behind, unlike reason #2; supporting the dream you believe we have when it comes to employment."

"Is this going anywhere?" I then ask, feeling as if my brother isn't really coming up with a solution as more that he is just here to annoy me, something I don't feel like doing as I really want Sly to enjoy his party with me and Cheren laughs as he says: "Yes, Carm-Carm, yes. I am getting to my conclusion, sister dear."  
At this I sigh as I suddenly remember why Cheren chose to work for Barkley's superiors as they too loved constantly repeating the same concepts over and over to make sure their conclusions sounded legit and Cheren says: "Carmelita, you don't want to leave Interpol, because you don't want to leave us, so – we all leave."  
This shocks the living daylights out of me, especially the easy tone my brother suddenly speaks with and we all turn in great shock at him, his simple smile making him almost voicelessly say: "What? Simple, right?" While in truth I had never even imagined that my law-abiding family would make such a sacrifice for me.

"Wait – wait, wait, WAIT!" I then say, my arms up in front of me and my voice rising a pitch with every repeat of that one word before I ask: "Qué?" Reverting to my native tongue out of nothing but the greatest of shock. Cheren laughs, obviously understanding my inner problem and when he calms down, he says:  
"Carmen, hermanita, have we not all – bar mama as she was already employed – always done our best to get everything done together, including our jobs at Interpol? Have we not constantly tried to stay close together, despite it not always being the entire family? Have we not always tried to work as a team to solve problems for even one?"  
At this, while feeling my heart warm up at his gentle, loving tone, do I nod as many memories of the coffee meetings, the lunch breaks, the visits to mama and papa after I came home from foreign missions, the many times I could call my brother or sister even when they were asleep rise up in my mind thanks to his words.  
He then walks over and grasps my hands in his own, his eyes almost tearing as he looks at me, proving he actually feels terrible over having heard my confession about my work-life and then, with the dark, soothing voice that he always used when I was little and crying over something, does he ask me: "So why should this be different?"

And with that do I feel absolutely stupid as I realize that my brother is right and while feeling horrible that I didn't just come forward with at least one of them when I had the chance, do I embrace my brother with thankful tears running down my face, my arms like vices around my brother's neck as I hug him close to me.  
Cheren laughs again and hugs me closely, his arms wrapped around my waist and his face nuzzling the fur in my neck as he says: "There there, hermanita, no need for those tears. You're a strong and proud woman. You shouldn't feel bad for wanting to solve this by yourself. You should be proud for the solution you tried to find."  
At this, while I can't see him as my face is buried in the striped fest of my brother, do I just know that Sly is nodding his agreement before my brother turns his face from my neck to the man himself and then makes me tense in renewed shock as he suddenly asks: "So what do you say, Mr. Leader, care for some new recruits?"

My whole body tenses against that of my brother as the idea of quitting my job and joining the Cooper Gang had been on my mind many a time before today – especially since the Chopper thing – yet I had always held back on giving into that urge, simply because I wished not to disappoint my family and then Bentley asks:  
"Are – are – are you serious?" And while his voice is wheezy and proving he has asthma, can I still hear the shock and trepidation sounding through, the hint of underlying care making me know that he worries for the same thing as me; disappointing my parents by actually accepting the offer I so desperately desire.

But then, instead of Cheren, is Helena, my sister, the one to speak as she walks over to us and says: "Sure. I mean, you're a turtle, right? Isn't your kind used to having large families and all that?" And just by these words do I realize that my family has discussed all of this before coming here and that they are now the ones with the plan.  
I look from my dearest brother, to my beautiful sister, who has hair that is my length, but then pure platinum blond that can sometimes be confused for honey blond in the wrong lighting and who shares my chocolate brown eyes and both of them smile at me, their smiles filled with reassurance and deep seeds of love.  
Feeling touched by what their smiles portray to me, do I await the verdict of my secret crush and his gang and Bentley asks: "Well, we – we are, but – but what does that have to do with anything?" And my sister smiles at him benignly, something she is quite profound in as she continues her explanation and says:

"Well, we Foxes always do everything together and while Carmelita always told us that you three worked as a trio team, does the presence of that little elder koala there tell me you are apparently expending. So, sorry Turtle boy, but if you want Carmelita – which I am sure your leader does – you will have to accept all of us as well."  
"You – you all want to join the Cooper Gang?" Sly then asks, his temporary loss of words touching my heart and this time it's my dad who speaks and says: "Yes we do, muchacho. Because if even half of what my niñita has said is to be believed, have you been meant to be the true leader of her work this entire puñetero time."  
And just the way that my papa is mixing his native tongue with his English one proves to me not just how strongly my papa thinks about his words and everything that happened today, but also how determined he is to see me happy and in the right place of my life once again, something that makes a silent tear run down my cheek.  
Yet, at the same time, does it seem as if I am not the only one who has caught onto my father's care and dedication to me, as Sly now smiles in that same confident way that he always does when feeling comfortable and he nods as he says: "Sir, it would be a great honor to have you, your wife and children join our gang."

And just by those words do I fling myself around the neck of my beloved, finally ready to show him what he did with me when he sat in that chopper with me for those two hours and while Sly is shocked at my sudden attack, do I hurriedly paste my lips against his own, the feeling of those lips against mine making me moan in delight.  
Sly seems heavenly shocked that I am actually kissing him, yet the Raccoon soon proves his reflexes and speed as he wraps his arms around my waist in a vice-like, yet loving grip, his hands twisting themselves around his own elbows to strengthen his hold on me and his mouth starting to devour mine in response.  
I moan and feel loved just by how Sly holds me and how sweet and lovingly he kisses me, his hold proving how happy he is to have me in his arms while his lips move themselves across my own as if he feels he needs to prove his love for me, something I have known since we shared our first kiss on the Krack-Karov Volcano mountain.

I then part from him and, in my native tongue, do I whisper: "Mi amor, mi dulce, dulce, cuidando amada. Por favor. Por favor, no me dejes nunca. I - Te quiero en mi vida. Usted y sólo usted. Te quiero así, mi apuesto príncipe. Por favor, déjame ser tu princesa." Feeling that I mean every word with all that I am.  
Sly then shocks me with a loving grin, proving he has understood every word and while I am shocked that he speaks my tongue, does he reply: "La mia splendida volpe. Come è possibile che ancora non si ottiene che il tesoro e le emozioni nel mio cuore sono tuo, soltanto tuo? Niente paura, la mia bella, per partire da oggi, vi mostrerò."  
And because I have, years ago, studied Italian after realizing that the handsome Italian Raccoon has stolen my heart, do I now feel new tears well in my eyes at Sly calling me his beautiful and his promise that I will, starting today, realize how much his love and emotions are but treasures he wishes to bestow upon me.  
Sly holds me close, his lips against my face just between my cheek and my ear and one of his hands softly, gently caressing through my hair as we stay like that, me just content beyond words to be in the arms of my beloved, especially now that I no longer have to fear hurting my parents with the fact that I have fallen for a thief.

But then I feel startled as another pair of hands that are not around my waist move themselves over my hair, before the sweet, deep voice of my mother speaks and says: "There, that belongs with your outfit, doesn't it dear heart?" And while realizing that my mum has placed my new hat back on my hair, do I smile at the woman.  
I then smile back at Sly and then ask him something I consider both a little jest and something highly important as I ask: "So my Ringtail, think your hideout is big enough to house another five people." And while Sly's tail actually starts whacking happily from side to side at hearing me call him mine, does he nod nonetheless.  
This makes me smile and I again move myself closer to him, loving how he strengthens his hold on me as I move my face to his ear and while wanting to caress it instead of speaking into it, do I resist this urge as I whisper: "Then let's go, mi amore." Sly shuddering in delight before he shocks me by actually lifting me in his arms.

The strength I feel in those muscles as they hold me, some of them tensing and relaxing as he shifts his hold on me until he is actually holding me bridal style, with me holding my arms around his firm neck, makes me shudder in delight and relief as these muscles alone prove that I never again have to fear for anything in my life.  
Sly then seems to read my mind as he smiles at me with love and a hint of playfulness before he turns to Urmilla and says: "Maybe not entirely as you had planned, but thanks for the most amazing birthday and birthday gift, my little Hermanita." The cobra smiles and nods at my beloved and he makes a head motion to Murray.  
The Hippo salutes him and heads out, Sly not letting go of me as he walks out behind his big buddy and while my parents seem curious and while Bentley – for some reason – has some kind of set of binoculars aimed for me and Sly, does the Leader of the Cooper Gang now lead his new team of seven out of the Designer Boutique.

* * *

 _ **And that's the end!  
**_ _ **I know the whole thing didn't end all that greatly, but one part of me wanted to make this an entire one-shot, while another part of me decided that was just not an option. Now, some of you may ask why I constantly make stories be around Sly 3. That's simple – the whole amnesia was pretty much everything between Sly 3 & 4.  
**_ _ **There is only so much you can do when someone has – or fakes to have – amnesia and there is even less you can really do when it comes to time travel. I do have another plan in mind, but that story is really on the physical Hurt/Comfort side and I don't want to embrace that part just yet – even if it's not involved with Mature Content.  
**_ _ **Now, I will let you know that – while I won't make a new OC story out of the Vault itself, will I attempt to make an OC story out of how the Cooper Gang gets to the Vault and seeing how I have planned for Marcus, Rosalie, Cheren and Helena to replace Panda King, Dimitri and Penelope, do I think I can easily manage that.  
**_ _ **However, the Cooper Vault won't come for a few more chapters as instead the Cooper Gang decides to – in multiple ways – help their new recruits get ready for what is ahead of them now that they have joined the business of Master Thieving. Again, this idea is all thanks to Kitty Petro and her wondrous Sly Cooper Series.  
**_ _ **Greetings, one and all,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **A few quick translations:**_

 _ **Cheri is French for Darling**_

 _ **Mon cheri is French for My good man or Honey**_

 _ **Mi amore is Italian for My Love**_

 _ **Que is Spanish for What**_

 _ **Hermanita is Spanish for sister or little sis**_

 _ **Muchacho is Spanish for boy or lad**_

 _ **Ninita is Spanish for Little Girl**_

 _ **Puñetero is Spanish for Bloody or Sodding**_

" _ **Mi amor, mi dulce, dulce, cuidando amada. Por favor. Por favor, no me dejes nunca. I - Te quiero en mi vida. Usted y sólo usted. Te quiero así, mi apuesto príncipe. Por favor, déjame ser tu princesa."**_ _ **Is Spanish for "My love, my sweet, sweet, caring lover. Please. Please do not ever leave me. I - I want you in my life. You and only you. I love you so, my handsome prince. Please let me be your princess. "**_

" _ **La mia splendida volpe.**_ _ **Come è possibile che ancora non si ottiene che il tesoro e le emozioni nel mio cuore sono tuo, soltanto tuo? Niente paura, la mia bella, per partire da oggi, vi mostrerò."**_ _ **Is Italian for "My beautiful fox. How is it that still do not get the treasure in my heart and emotions are yours and yours alone? Do not worry, my beautiful, for starting today, I will show you. "**_


	2. The Salon - Part 02

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Just want to let you all know that this chapter will be a bit of a repeat of what happened last chapter, but then from Sly's POV. I personally consider this quite the challenge as Sly is both a very serious and headstrong leader as well as an unstoppable flirt and someone who is very handsome – and who knows that he is.  
**_ _ **Also, I know that – according to the Sly Cooper Wiki site, the Raccoon is 21 during Honor Among Thieves, but I personally feel a much stronger connection with the age of 23 and I like that a little more than 21 – mostly because the world kind of expects you to be a responsible adult at 21 and I just don't get why that would be.  
**_ _ **That's all, on with it,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. Credits For This Story Go To Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

My name is Sly Cooper. Today is my twenty-third birthday and while at first I had expected nothing more than a fun party with my brothers, my sister in all but blood, some of her co-workers and my newest team member, had the way Urmilla shown me what she had actually planned for my birthday made everything better.  
I had been worried when the Cobra woman had told me how she had a problem as she had been stuttering and had even been almost biting her bottom lip with her own razor fangs, me grabbing her hand as I had asked her what was wrong. To hear that my suspicions about burglars wasn't it had been a relief to my ears.

To find out that my dearest Urmilla had actually gotten her hands on my beautiful, graceful and highly powerful and determined Carmelita Montoya Fox, the vixen that has had my heart since the first time I met her and that she had even managed to get the vixen in an outfit similar to mine had been the last thing I had expected.

To see that gorgeous vixen in her new brown, black and dark orange outfit had been beyond any dream I had ever had of the woman actually choosing my career over her own and while I had not been entirely comfortable with her being tied up, had my heart quickly over won my conscience on this little issue.  
I had shown off a little with my cane and had teased the gorgeous vixen in the hopes she would be more willing to remain where she was, yet she had struggled further and I had felt bad for this, yet my conscience had not been able to overpower how badly I just wanted to be close to her and how happy I was to now have this chance.  
I had decided to live out a secret dream of mine, something I had sworn myself would become a daily ritual were I ever to be lucky enough to have Carmelita by my side, and had asked Monique – who I always call Minnie – to fetch me a chair and a comb, my eyes constantly swirling between the girl and my beloved's gorgeous locks.

Carmelita had tried to get loose once more while I had approached her, yet I had been as gentle as if she were my very own child once I had been seated behind her and when she had lowered her head in defeat, had I tried to console her with words of comfort and a sweet and honest compliment of what my thoughts were regarding her hair.  
To hear her answer that she thought it wrong for me to try and make her look as gorgeous as I believe her to always be had stung and yet, at the same time, had I strangely enough felt the strong belief rise within me that my gorgeous Carmelita had used a little too much power behind that statement to make it be honest truth.

I had ignored this and instead just enjoyed the chance to have that luxurious hair between my fingers, teasing Carmelita every now and then by letting my fingers go over the soft and sensitive spots in her neck as I brush further down her back before deciding to further prove to Carmelita just how well she and I fit together.  
Taking advantage of her captive state for a second time that day, I had lifted her to where I knew Urmilla had a floor to ceiling mirror standing and while feeling divine over the fact that I can actually wrap my arms around her glorious waist, had I whispered sweet words in her ear, encouraging her to look at our reflection.  
Carmelita had actually shivered at this – and probably at how my playful hands had started rubbing smooth patterns all over the fur on her sides – before she had asked me if I had any intention of letting her go. Using the excuse of her being my gift from Urmilla had actually made the vixen give up, yet her question had confused me.

I had tried making us both feel a little more comfortable by sending my Carmelita a hot and sinful look, yet this had only aggravated the vixen and I had motioned for Minnie to bring me my seat, not all that pleased that she placed it so that it blocked Carmelita of her lovely vision, but accepting the position of it nonetheless.  
To then hear her speak of how she hasn't seen any of her family in the longest time had made my heart ache for her and while I had wanted to console her, had she believed that I felt guilty and had she assured me that it was not because she had been chasing me for the longest time. To hear that it was due to her boss had been a shock.  
Sure, Barkley had never been one I had really trusted after how easily he had believed Neyla and how he hadn't even requested for Carmelita to be trialed or even questioned after she was accused of conspiring with me and my gang, yet the things my beloved tells me make me reach new levels of shock regarding the badger.

The filthy little beast had through tricks and schemes been trying to keep Carmelita from her family and had even gone so far as to try and wedge a gap between her and her only sister, something that makes me feel as furious at Barkley as when I had first realized that he wasn't planning to help Carmelita out in the slightest.  
I had still felt curious as to why this all was and apparently was my face an open book for the lovely Inspector to read as she had told me of Barkley and what he had been led to believe since first meeting Carmelita in her ever gorgeous – and sometimes a little too revealing – outfit and to hear about the grapevine had not been pleasant.  
Why such an influential person would even bother with something as silly as a gossip chain was beyond me, but that Barkley had apparently shown his colors in such a way the memory of it had made Carmelita shudder had brought out the worst of my fears and made me worry greatly for my dearest, truest love.

The story she had then told me, of what occurred between her and Barkley and few days before her invitation to Rajan's party had shocked, infuriated and absolutely flabbergasted me as I had never expected for someone like Barkley to sink that low as to openly point out Carmelita's finest traits and make them out as criminal bait.  
To hear then that it had happened in the cafeteria and how it had affected her life at work had made me absolutely hate how little respect I had actually shown her during our times together and I had done the only thing I felt that I could do to make us both feel better; I had rushed over and hugged her tied up frame close to my own.  
Carmelita had apparently, because of the memory, accepted this as she had let her emotions go, starting to cry softly as she had continued her tale and when her voice had left her and she had started to stutter, had the Cooper within me growled in possessive anger to all those who had hurt and damaged my precious girl.  
I had then assured her of my need to protect her, whispering to her how she no longer had to be afraid of these men and getting even my entire team to agree that we would all make certain that they would never again think of turning against her, the determination to protect Carmelita almost radiating off of all three of them.

I had then cupped her gorgeous fur between my hands and looked as deeply into her crying chocolate brown eyes as I had dared, whispering another assurance of her safety before Carmelita had shocked and confused me as she had confessed to how her stuttering hadn't come out of fear, but rather out of guilt, which I just didn't get.  
She had then warmed my heart and made me feel as if I actually did have a real chance with her as she told me how much she appreciated all I ever did for her, even going so far as to tell me that I had the decency to make her feel as if she mattered, something which made me confess in return how much I enjoyed her presence during heists.  
Carmelita had both enjoyed this and told me how bad she felt for not returning my kindness to her, but rather shouting my hide full whenever we met, something that made me realize she only did this because she couldn't do the same to her boss or she would be fired and dishonor the family she had been missing for so long.

My heart had sung at the idea that this gorgeous vixen had trusted me this much and I had told her so, telling her how this always made me enjoy every part of the heist, from the very thieving of the item of my desire to the end of it, yet Carmelita had waved this compliment away and had actually shocked me when she shouted:  
"AND YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT!" The shout had shocked me out of attempting to comfort her again and after getting over my shock, had I smiled at her and told her how much it really meant to me to realize that she trusted me as much as she did, comparing it to the only thing I could think of; any treasure in the world.  
Then Carmelita had proven to me that we were closely approaching the whole reason she wanted to speak with me in the first place and while I had almost felt tears of love appear in my eyes when she confessed that she trusted me and why, had new tears almost threatened to spill when I heard just how badly Carmelita felt.  
I then feel my lunges temporarily lose the chance to breathe as Carmelita confesses to the need of quitting her job and while her reason for not doing so tears at my poor heartstrings, can I only nod empathically, knowing I would have probably weathered the same kind of crap had I been a Master Thief alongside my father.

Yet it is at this exact point that Carmelita proves me how amazing, how devious and how desperate she actually is as she shows me how she was never tied up to begin with and that she only pretended to be so just to make me feel comfortable enough to allow her this chance before I suddenly realize something and ask:  
"So you've been holding your hands behind your back by your own will?" And because Bentley and I often practiced me escaping from such binds, do I know like no other how painful that must have been, me jumping into action and racing over to softly kneed any possible sore muscles in Carmelita's shoulder and back as I do.  
Carmelita then makes my day as she actually makes herself lean down against the chair she is seated in, the groan that escapes her throat making me feel very proud of myself for my handy work before she makes me tense in pure utter delight and concern as she mutters how I have to be patient before I can lavish her to my heart's delight.  
The idea that I can actually continue with Urmilla's – or should I say Carmelita's – idea of having Carmelita as my birthday gift excites me to no end, do I keep in and only show her a deeply grateful and worried smile before seating myself back in the seat before her, showing her she again has my fullest attention.

Carmelita then repeats her current situation to me and when I hear how she seems to have trouble with the solution she came up with, do I already feel my mind starting to whir with all kinds of ideas to make certain we have some kind of back-up were my beloved's plan to fail, only to feel amused when she comments on my case.  
She then continues and the part of her speaking of an exception intrigues me, yet the suggestion Carmelita comes up with and then tries to defend – her words sounding as weak-willed as she did earlier – make me know I cannot accept something that can only give her mental and emotional peace for one day a year.  
To then hear her ask me whether or not I would even consider accepting her proposition makes me turn stoic to her, not wanting her to see just how terrible I think her idea as it just doesn't sound right, especially not to someone as kind-hearted, high-spirited and ever-independent as my beloved Carmelita Montoya Fox.  
Yet the stoic mask seems not to work as Carmelita's face takes on a look of concern and I decide to be as open with her as I always am, allowing for my face to show my pain for her, my concern for her situation and my anger at how her boss thinks that he and his men can treat a woman of her incredible caliber and ability.

Carmelita's face shows me, however, that she really believed I would have taken up this offer and while my heart bleeds for how this woman cares for others more than for herself, do I respond the only way I feel possible; I get up from my seat and – with my arms and hug – tell the beautiful fox just how much I care for her in truth.  
I then speak my mind, whispering how much it hurts me that she shoulders things like this on her own person, how this should never happen and how I just don't want her doing things she doesn't want or deserve, Bentley and Murray nodding in agreement with me before I again take that gorgeous face back in my hands.  
Carmelita seems not yet done with her attempts to convince me and I silence her with my lips, attempting to get through to her how badly I wish to shield her from something as painful and torturous as what she is mentally and emotionally going through, Carmelita getting teary eyed in response as I convey her how I feel.

I then whisper it to her, muttering another few words of compliments while I am at it and make her a vow I know my friends will help me keep up, one where I promise her to rid her of Barkley and his disgusting methods without losing her chance to be in my life or risking the chance of disgracing her precious family name.  
Carmelita then proves to me how stressful this has been for her as she hugs me to her gorgeous form, her tears spilling out of her precious-looking eyes and her arms around me in such a loving graceful hold, I can only clamp myself down onto this gorgeous vixen, my need to protect her with all that I am feeling content with this position.  
Yet that chance is short lived as an unfamiliar voice suddenly says how the owner of the voice knows just the way and when I look from where I am lovingly holding onto the very woman of my dreams, am I shocked, surprised and feeling highly uncomfortable as I see a family of 4 foxes that all have facial traits similar to my beloved's.

The one who spoke was a few years older than Carmelita and while I feel amused at how he keeps repeating the whole problem Carmelita has at work, do I not feel entirely certain I should stay where I am and do I quickly scurry away from my loved one, my body aching to be with her, yet my heart fearing the chance to anger her family.  
Carmelita, who I know is still highly unsettled from her earlier confession, then proves how she just can't handle her brother's teasing and while I feel glad that there is another person who is willing to tease my beloved in order to make her feel better, does the nickname Carm-Carm make me tingle on the inside with sweet joy.  
However, this joy vanishes in a heart-beat and is instantly replaced with shock when the young man named Cheren says that, because Carmelita doesn't leave Interpol because of the family, they should all leave and Carmelita voices my shock perfectly as she first almost shouts, before referring to her native tongue and asking: "Que?"

Cheren then touches my heart and makes me feel overjoyed at the amazing family my darling vixen has been born into as he names several instances that prove the family has always done everything they could together, before asking that same precious sister of his why this situation should be any different from others.  
That, it seems, actually convinces Carmelita that her own solution just shouldn't be considered acceptable and while she hugs him close with tears of gratitude running down her face, do I still nod when Cheren comments on how Carmelita shouldn't cry of pain or guilt, but should feel proud of the solution she tried to find.  
This makes me want to disagree, yet I still nod as I do agree with how this solution proved, yet again, what an incredible strong and independent woman Carmelita really is, before Cheren had suddenly turned my way and made me feel as if the whole world had been turned upside down as he had asked if I cared for new recruits.

Hundreds of images and fantasies of what I could teach this male fox, his parents, his slightly younger sister and my dearest beloved had rung through my mind while Bentley had been the one to voice my shock, Carmelita's sister taking over where her brother left off and strangely commenting on how turtles lived in large families.  
I know Bentley had always wanted a large family and how the fact that he was missing out on this had always made him that much more anxious and worried for Murray and me, not to mention all the more protective, yet Bentley seems not to catch onto whatever the other female fox is trying to prove as he asks for the relevance to this.  
The words the fox then utters, of how the Foxes have always done everything together and while I feel as if it was meant for us to have the Guru here today, does Carmelita's sister then point out his addition to our team before she then sets us the ultimatum of getting the whole fox family on the team if we take Carmelita.  
The idea that this entire law-abiding family is willing to become Master Thieves is still one I can barely grasp, making me stutter once as I ask if they really want this and just by how Carmelita's father is slipping between his native tongue and English, do I know that he too heard everything and how angry he really is.

This, to me, is the last piece of evidence I need to agree to the plan of Carmelita's brother and her family and my reward for telling her father that I would be honored to take the family into my team is my beloved rushing over to fling herself around my neck, the feeling her actually sealing her lips with mine an amazing bonus.  
The fact that I am now kissing my beloved through a kiss she initiated is simply said the last piece of evidence to prove that all of my flirting with her and complimenting her has actually born fruits and I feel all of my emotions coming up within me as I tangle my arms around her form and respond to her loving kiss with my own.  
Then, when oxygen becomes a must, do we part and Carmelita seems overwhelmed with her emotions as she mutters in Spanish how she sees me, how she begs me never to leave her, how she wishes for me and only me and how she even considers me her prince and wishes for me to make her my princess in return for this.  
The idea that my sweetest of the sweet still doubts what is in my heart for her makes me respond in my own native tongue and I whisper back how my heart and its emotions are treasures only for her to have, asking her how she still does not get this and promising her how, starting today, all of that will be changed.

Carmelita's mother then shortly startles our embrace with one another, yet the way she puts Carmelita's breath-taking outfit back together by giving her daughter back her sweet and very well-designed hat makes me feel as if my birthday gift has been put back together, the words of Carmelita's promise coming back to my mind.  
Yet these thoughts are very shortly driven from my mind as I hear Carmelita jesting at me with the question if my Hideout could be big enough to house her family as well as my team and while I barely really hear this over the way she calls me hers, do I still nod in confidence as I have no doubt of this being easy to accomplish.  
The memory of her promising I can lavish her at a later time then rears back to the front of my mind and I decide that I might as well hit two flies with one rock, the way that Carmelita entices me to leave only further encouraging me and I decide to be a little playful and keep up with my sweetheart's original plan here.

I lift the incredible vixen in my arms and hold her so that her arms are wrapped around my neck, part of me wishing we were in wedding outfits instead of thieving, yet another silently rejoicing at how strongly that chance now exists for the near future and I thank my little sister, Urmilla before making a head motion to Murray.  
The Hippo nods, getting my silent signal to start the Cooper Van and head back home and while I feel only too happy at how Bentley grabs his Binocucom and – unknown to my beloved – actually shoots a picture of me holding my beloved – and birthday present – do I happily lead my new team out the salon and over to the van.

* * *

 _ **And that's the end!  
**_ _ **Like I said, it would be from Sly's POV and it would be describing how he viewed the events at the Salon. I know it's pretty much exactly what happened in the last chapter, but I had over thirteen pages last chapter and I wanted to shorten them for a few before lengthening them again – making a little mix so to say.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Who here has watched Disney's Robin Hood and felt that Robin and Sly are like siblings – only different species. Seriously, you can't look at that fox and not think; yeah, that's Sly, alright. Tell me what you think.**_


	3. The Hide-out And The Party - Part 01

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Okay, so in this chapter, the gang arrives at the Hideout, Sly continues taking pleasure out of the fact that Carmelita is actually a willing birthday gift to him and the Fox family gets together for a surprise attack against Barkley to make sure he realizes how badly his little schemes against Carmelita back-fired.  
**_ _ **Also, for those of you following Cannon – Yes, I know that in the end of Sly 2 the Van vanished and that it wasn't found until the team went for Panda King, but in this story, they won't head for China and there is a 2-year time span between Sly 2 and 3. And sorry, peeps, but you can't tell me such a van can't be found in 2 years.  
**_ _ **Also, I have a few plans for this story and while they will involve the whole gang getting to the Vault, will they not involve the giant monster that was crushing Sly in Cannon or what is actually inside the Vault itself. For that you need to check one of my other stories, where I proved myself a real history geek, so to say.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Pedro**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

The van we drove to the Salon in is quite busily full now that the whole Fox Family has decided to join us and while I happily enjoy the sound of all their mumbling, their tones letting me know they are planning something, is it the amazing vixen seated on my lap at the front passenger seat that makes me enjoy this ride immensely.  
Carmelita happily has her arms around my neck and her face buried in the curve between my neck and shoulder, her soft hair emitting a deliriously nice smelling perfume that smells like a mix of warm, fresh-baked, nature-made honey and the incredible scent hyacinths give off during the first few days that they actually bloom.  
I now have both my hands firmly around her tender waist, my left again softly moving up and down over her skin and shirt-covered fur and the peaceful smile that has been on her face since we decided to really become one big team makes me feel as if I just saved the world from the Fiendish Five and Clock-La a good dozen times over.

To see the woman that I love looking so content while in the arms of the criminal she has been trying to pursue for all these years was something I had, before, only seen in my dreams and that I sometimes told myself I wouldn't see anywhere else, yet the way her eyes are closed as she leans against me makes her look downright angelic.  
I then untangle one of my hands from her waist and softly, with the utmost gentlest of touches, let one of my fingers slide from the part of her brow covered by a single blue-blackish dread of hair down to her nose, the way she cringes it and giggles as I remove my finger there with a hurried move making her look downright adorable.  
Still, just by the one arm I still have around her waist can I tell that this day has not been easy on her as she must have been worried over a ton of things the entire time leading up to where she could offer me her proposition and while her idea still makes me shudder in disgust for how it won't change her lifestyle, do I ignore this.  
Instead of that do I wait for her to lock gazes with me and whisper at her: "You're still due one massage to unleash too painfully tight muscles, remember my darling? From when you were willingly keeping your arms in that very trying position behind your back the entire time." At this Carmelita smiles and nods at me.

Then Murray shocks me as gazing at Carmelita had made me completely lose sight of where we were going and suddenly the big hippo asks: "You coming out, Sly?" Before I realize that we have actually halted the van and are back in the garage that is build into the far north-eastern part of the rectangular hotel we reside in.  
Amazed that just being around the one I love can distract me so thoroughly, do I happily move my empty hand back under my beloved's slender knees and lift her up, my nimble muscles making it easy for me to open the door with my shoulder and then turn myself so that I can almost flawlessly slide out of the seat.  
Carmelita herself looks around at the metal and iron boarded garage that has a single table against the far left wall that is overloaded with all kinds of tools Murray uses once a week to once a fortnight in order to keep our van mobile and in proper shape before I move her over to the simple wooden door leading further.

Murray opens the door for me and I smile at him as I can tell that Bentley – being the prune turtle that he is – must have closed the door behind himself on instinct after guiding the rest of Carmelita's family through and while I take the rickety staircase up, do I whisper: "We do have a little detour to take, so there won't be much to see yet."  
Carmelita nods and when we reach the top of the staircase, does the vixen look at the room around her in shock as there are glass pieces lying on the wooden floor, of which parts are actually either turned and bent due to old age or busted and broken as if someone tried to break them in pieces and the ceiling is half gone as well.  
Despite this is there a very old and dusty looking couch that has a few springs sticking out, some picture frames hanging from the wall – some looking old, others new, some of them hanging to one side, others hanging perfectly straight – and is there a stone grate with pieces missing from the stone and the grate itself smoldering.

"Anyone coming here would think we live as chums and that this is our reason for having the profession that we have. Yet if you look closely, you can tell that all this is just a ruse, a way to make sure you don't really see what we – being who we are – have to offer to the world. Care to see our real home, Cheri?"

I mutter as I look around, smiling as Murray and I always make sure to keep the room looking half-tidy half a complete mess and Carmelita nods before getting shocked as Murray suddenly thumps his foot down onto the floor harshly, causing for a large set of floorboards to rise up with I catch with my foot before they fall back.  
Keeping my hold on Carmelita as firm as possible, do I move my leg up and let the set of floorboards fall back, revealing a hidden staircase that moves further down than the staircase to the garage moved up, is made of stone and has a red gleaming handrail besides it and is actually spiral shaped making you dizzy if you look too far down.  
Reapplying my firm hold on my beloved to make sure I can keep my balance, do I smile at her lovingly before moving downwards, the way that Carmelita's face lights up with intrigue and excitement making me kind of nervous for how she will react when she actually sees our living room for the first time.

We enter the room in question and while nervous for my beloved's response, can I not help the feeling that always washes over me when I look around. A warm brown rug covering the entire floor, windows that have electronics set by Bentley to portray the outside skies, darkish red and purple couches and a few chairs.  
There is, naturally, another stone grate in the room, this one gleaming and making it seem as if the thing is made of diamonds instead of pure rock and above this is a portrait of myself, Bentley and Murray, while a 1 foot high glass coffee table with soft iron legs is set in front of it, the table itself a bit of a mess to look at.  
Carmelita's parents are already inside and while her mother seems fascinated by the portrait hanging on the wall, does Carmelita's sister seem intrigued with the unfinished chess match that is stalled out on a small table in the right back corner and have her dad and brother moved over to simple bookcase against the far left wall.  
Carmelita herself looks around in intrigue and shock and I say: "It may not appear much, but after a few visits of coming here, just passing through that secret door makes you feel right at home. At least that's how I feel it." Bentley and Murray then nod in agreement and Carmelita sends me another dazzling smile as she says:

"It does feel like home, that portrait definitely helps." To this Bentley sniggers and says: "That portrait is an invention of mine. One I plan on selling once Sly, Murray and I decide we've had enough of stealing and that Sly has proven himself worthy to his family name." This makes Carmelita's mother look intrigued and I say:  
"Show her, old chap." Bentley nodding at me and taking a simple remote control from the coffee table, aiming it for the portrait and pressing the left top button, which actually causes for the portrait to roll itself up and for a gigantic screen to show itself, shocking everyone in the room that hasn't seen this happen before.  
Bentley then presses the button under it and the rectangular shape of the picture frame moves itself with a turn of a quarter of a circle, making the long sides lie at the top and bottom of the wall instead of the sides and then presses the top right button, making the actual TV that is placed behind the portrait be turned on.

The whole Fox family looks in shock and I say: "Fancy TV. That's at least what Bentley calls it. A Television that can hide itself behind any kind of wall ornament and of which the ornament can be changed to fit the frame of the TV itself, making it so you can always chose between a fancy ornament or a good TV show."  
This makes Cheren look at the TV in great wonder and I can almost already see just by the look in the slightly elder fox's eyes that he and Bentley will make a good pair of friends as the excitement and intrigue with which the fox is admiring not the show, but rather the picture frame makes me know we have another genius on board.

I then focus onto what I had been planning since we moved here and seat Carmelita down on the lush dark purple chair on the left of the coffee table, one I had been able to acquire after a year of living here and that actually has a recliner function to it, yet one that had been old and rusted until Bentley had been able to fix it.  
The turtle himself looks shocked that I seat Carmelita in here as I had always made sure not to even let Murray do so, no matter how much the Hippo loved letting his feet rest, but then I again move myself behind the vixen and continue where I had left off before, my hands quickly finding her shoulders and working on the knots in her muscles.  
Carmelita sighs in pure utter relief as she feels this and I say: "You were really putting too much strain on those muscles when holding your arms in that faux-captive position, my darling. Here, let me help you fix that." And while I slowly move my hands down from her shoulders, does Carmelita humor me as she asks:  
"I thought this was your birthday, Ringtail." To which I smile as she still obviously wants to care for me like she had been wanting to do when she offered me her plans and I retort lovingly: "And I thought you told me that I could lavish you once you had your say. You had it and I want to lavish my birthday gift, so hush."

At this Cheren laughs and says: "Now I get why you said he has a silver tongue, hermanita, that was too good." But Carmelita seems not to care for her brother as she instead looks at me with the question of _are you sure_ shining in her bright brown eyes and I lean down to kiss her luscious lips in order to convince her of my desires.  
Carmelita's lips turn in a happy smile as she kisses me back and I whisper: "I want my birthday gift to feel special, so sit back and enjoy. You've done enough, la mia splendida, now let your carissimo amante take care of the rest, sì?" And just when I ask her that, does my left hand notice a whole set of muscles tied up tightly.  
I move both of my hands to this one single spot just between her back and her arm pit and start to, gently, apply pressure through the lower palms of my hand, Carmelita actually moaning in delight as she leans forward with her arms crossed over her legs, her hair cascading over nearly her entire face as she leans down like that.  
Feeling beyond touched that this incredible vixen trusts me enough to let her guard down like she is, blocking her view with her own hair and doing so in a location she has entered for the first time ever, do I feel my very heart soar with pride and the strong need to prove to my beloved that her trust in me will not go unproven.

For a little longer do I work like this, actually activating the recliner ability of the seat and making Carmelita lie on her front as I work further down her back, feeling shocked at how many knots and frayed up nerves I actually find in the muscles on her gorgeous back and when I am done massaging them all, do I turn her around again.  
By now Carmelita seems complete mush as she lies on the chair, yet I attempt to get her attention by leaning a single hand on the backrest and looking down at her, Carmelita sending me a confused raised eyebrow as I softly lie a finger under her sweet chin and say: "From now on, inamorato, you come to me when feeling this tense, capish?"  
Carmelita nods and I smile, kissing her once again as I whisper: "You really were putting too much responsibility on yourself, my Carmen. Your whole back was one frayed up set of nerves and tensed up muscles. You almost had a back of steel, you were that tense. You know that's not healthy or good for you, right?"  
At this the woman turns slightly red and says: "It was probably because there were so many things I feared could go wrong with my plan, Sly and – and because I feared that – that Barkley, one way or another, found out what I was planning. If he – if he heard I – that I was giving myself to you as a birthday gift, I – I would never –."

But while just the thought of that lowlife mongrel makes me want to storm into Bentley's newly developed Hazard Room and tear the whole place apart, do I feel my place is here with my love and while adjusting her seat so that we are cuddling up on the recliner, do I pull her close and whisper: "I understand, mio amore. I understand."  
Like this do Carmelita and I stay for a few more minutes, her mother having taken a seat on the large couch stationed on our right and smiling at the both of us, before Carmelita suddenly surprises me as she giggles and says: "You know, there was one thing that happened today that surprised and confuses me, now that I think about it."  
I look down at her, feeling glad to see her smiling like that as I have no doubt that, in the last few minutes, she was attempting to pull her mind away from Barkley and I ask: "What is that, Carmelita?" And the gorgeous vixen giggles again behind her hand before she suddenly asks me: "What was with you and combing my hair like that?"

At this I feel both like an absolute fool and like the luckiest man on the planet and I laugh shortly myself before I give her a sweet, loving glance and say: "Call me a sappy old goof, but I always dreamed of how, if we were to be together, I could tend to your hair when we woke or went to bed, you know. Things like that."  
At this, while her parents look at me with small signs of shock, does Carmelita just stare at me with her stunning brown eyes shining with curiosity and she asks: "You want to take care of me and my hair like that when we're together? As in, an item, together?" To which I nod and smile goofily at her as I say:  
"I guess so, I mean – heh, it's just – I always cause you so much trouble and frustration when you're hunting me, I always envisioned how, if we were still cop and robber, I could make you feel better upon returning home, you know. And – and now that your family's resigning as cops, well, I just didn't see reason to stop that dream."  
To this her mother smiles at me with adoration and love while Carmelita happily cuddles up to me just like she did when we were seated in the van and whispers softly: "Can you be anymore the perfect partner I have always wished for, Sly? Cause if you can, I can't wait to find out." To which I can't help but smile widely.

Like this we stay just a little bit longer, the others coming to join us on other seats at the coffee table and starting conversations with one another, but while I love the very feeling of having Carmelita's luscious body in my arms, her head on my shoulder and her hands against my chest, is the moment ruined by a loud sound.  
A ringing tune that sounds eerie due to the fact that we are actually underground and while Bentley plugs his ears with his fingers and Murray winces with one eye closed, do I realize that the sound is coming from my beloved due to how she cringes herself, yet not out of pain for the sound, but more as if fearing the sound itself.  
Letting one hand roam gently over where her suit has pockets, do I find her cell phone and the name on the touch screen makes new rage boil within me; Barkley. I look from the screeching cell phone to my gulping girlfriend and then press two buttons, one to answer the call and the other to put the call on speaker.

Then, I regret doing so, as instantly Barkley's voice starts shouting even before I can so much as utter a single syllable and the Badger shouts: "FOX! Where the heck are you? You're three hours late and the Cooper Gang has been spotted at C'est Magnifique! You better be chasing that no good scoundrel, you harlot, or you –."  
But that second to last word is the last thing I can take and I shout back: "YOU CALL THAT AMAZING WOMAN A HARLOT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER TO CALL HER ANYTHING BUT INCREDIBLE! SHE PUT INTERPOL ON THE MAP AND YOU BETTER REMEMBER THAT!"  
The voice on the other side of the call turns silent while everyone around me looks at me with eyes almost falling out of their sockets and while Carmelita trembles in my arms, do I turn my voice down to the lowest hissing tune I can make it and while filling it with all the anger I have within me since hearing Carmelita speak, do I say:  
"That woman is responsible for the capture of the Fiendish Five, the Claw Gang, the destruction of Clock-La, the purification of the Venetian rivers and many other things that make your office the best in the business. She is everything you should ever want your officers to be and if you can't see that, I feel sorry for you."

And with that do I press the button to end the call, throwing the phone in such a way, Bentley has no trouble catching it before pulling Carmelita closer, attempting with my entire form to protect her from her own inner turmoil and whispering in Italian: "Calmi, il mio amore. Egli non può farti del male. Calma ora."  
But Carmelita keeps trembling and while I feel my heart shattering at how scared and small she now looks while cradled in my arms, do I ask: "Oh my sweetest of dearhearts. I didn't scare you, did I?" But Carmelita calms some of my worries as she shakes her head and mutters: "No, just – just startled me, is all."  
At this I pull her even closer and whisper: "My anger is not aimed at you, Carmelita. You know that, right? That bastard just reminded me of what you told me about that one day a few days before Rajan's party. I just remembered that when he called you that awful word and I lost it. I just couldn't keep my anger in anymore, you see?"  
To this Carmelita finally stops shivering, her body relaxing against my own and taking away the last of my worries before a dazzling and loving smile appears on her face as she looks up at me, her eyes slightly misty with tears as she says: "I do and thank you, Sly. I – I forgot what it was like to have someone so angry at my behalf."

This alone breaks my heart even further and while trying to hold back tears of my own, do I pull Carmelita's face against my neck, lying the side of my face to the top of her head and moving it up and down in a loving pattern, my fur rustling through her hair as I say: "No more of that, sfarzoso, you have family, so no more of that."  
Causing for Carmelita's family to give me large and loving smiles before her father motions Bentley to give him his daughter's phone. At this I lie a protective hand over Carmelita's head, wanting to shield her from whatever Barkley tries next and her father nods in appreciation before pressing a few buttons on the phone.

Again the phone gets turned on, this time dialing a number instead of ringing for a call and when the phone is picked up, do I instinctively pull Carmelita even closer, the voice of Barkley alone bringing out my strongest needs to protect her as he roughly asks: "Got your phone back, did you? Good, now listen up –."  
But that is as far as the man, who sounds more like a brothel boss than a police officer, can get before the angry voice of Carmelita's father interrupts him and says: "No you listen, Barkley, because I only have two words to say, but they are a sentiment I share with my entire family; the same family you tried to drive apart, you tirón."  
No sound comes from the other end of the line as Carmelita's father takes a single breath, proving that the man on the other side of the phone hadn't been expecting to hear the father of his agent instead of his employee and then, while feeling like crooning in pride for the people in front of me, do I hear him and his family chorus:

"We QUIT!" Before the man that is my beloved's father presses the button to end the call and throws the cell phone back to Bentley, saying: "Make sure it can't get to us anymore today, you got that chum?" Bentley nods and moves his wheelchair out of the room, his eyes not on where he rides but on the device in his hand.  
Carmelita's father then sighs in relief and says: "Not the way we had planned, but it sure felt damn good telling that bastard just where we stood, it did." But then Cheren laughs and says: "Maybe so, but I still need to file my resignation with Barkley's superiors, so our plans to get back at that mongrel aren't out of the loop yet, papa."  
And the same smirk that I often see on my beloved's face when she becomes certain she has me cornered appears on her dad's face as well as he leans back on the couch with his arms behind his head and says: "Gracias a Dios por eso, hijo. Gracias a dios." And with that does Carmelita finally show a relieved smile at her family.

Murray then lifts the mood as he starts talking with Helena, the conversation the two share an easy one for all of us to get into and while I keep at least one arm around my beloved, holding her body close to mine while talking, does Bentley come back to the room a little under half an hour later and say: "Guys, lunch time."  
To which we all smile at the turtle and move over to the open door in the right wall, entering a hallway that runs parallel with the wall and that has another open door right in front of the one we just passed, allowing us to move into a kitchen that has a brownish red-tiled floor, white tiled-walls and white painted ceiling.  
A table that we long ago purchased and actually adapted because all of us had always had dreams of getting families of our own stands in the left front of the room, Bentley having already clapped open the few extra table tops we had installed onto the table itself upon purchase and a whole array of meals is spread out over the table.  
We all take our seat and I feel my face lighting up as I see that all of the meals on the table have to do with eggs; scrambled eggs, waffles with eggs, hard boiled and soft boiled eggs, baked eggs, omelets, pastries and egg-bread. "Your Egg Fiesta. You made it?" I ask the turtle and he retorts: "It's your birthday, no?"

Making me give the turtle a warm and grateful hug before we all take a little bit of everything – Murray more than a little – and start eating, me deciding after a few bites that I will get back to a topic that had startled me earlier on the day and after gulping down my bite, do I ask: "So, are you all sure you want this new profession?"  
The whole family nods and I share a look with Bentley, mentally telling him about the family and what they can do for our big plans revolving around Kaine Island and the turtle nods, telling me without words that he agrees on my worries for how long we might have to set those plans back if we train these people first.  
Still, the confident look in the turtle's eyes as he nods at me makes me know that the little fellow has no problems with this and when I look at Murray and Guru, do I see that they agree with our joined little shell-armored buddy and I say: "Good, but if you really want to join our team, you'll have a lot of training ahead of you."

The family smiles at me and I say: "Trust me, being a Master Thief is no easy job. You have to constantly watch out for cops, make sure you're not seen by those you wish to avoid, make sure you have at least two back-up plans before taking a heist and have to always do some long and close-distance recon before going in."  
By now all of them are looking at me shocked and I lean back with my arms crossed and say: "And then I'm not even talking about your form, how to use it in certain situations and how to always be aware of where you can use what skill to your advantage. In here, you're safe. Out there, you're constantly on watch."  
The family nods and I say: "Of course we do have our techwizz constantly keeping an eye out through our trusty Binocucoms – oh Bentley, make sure you make a few extra for the Foxes, okay?" The turtle nods and I go on: "And if you do get in some kind of pickle, you always have the Murray to march you right out of it.  
And Guru, of course, who will from now on be able to control the more weak minded guards away from you in case your position gets in trouble of being jeopardized or hide you through his own transformation skills, right?" The Koala nods and I say: "So it may not be as safe as being a cop, but you've always got back-up."

This makes everyone smile, except Carmelita who sighs in forlorn and I really can't blame her there as the way that the Mercenary Apes had abandoned her after the Mask of Dark Earth had been destroyed had been the perfect example of how much – or better said how little – the fox had been able to count on back-up before today.  
I wrap my arm around her shoulder as she eats and pull her closer, whispering caringly in her ear: "You're part of the team now, querido, and that means you're family. And this family sticks together, siempre." Making the fox smile at me in gratitude before we continue eating, all of us at ease and comfortable once again.

Then, when lunch is over, do I wait for everyone to have moved their dishes over to the sink and want to start the hot water in the sink, when Bentley moves his wheelchair over to stand in front of me and asks humorously: "And what do you think you're doing, birthday boy? Get in there and leave those to me. You know our deal."  
This makes me smile and I move back into the living room, Carmelita having taken place in the same seat as before and Murray looking at this with slight discomfort, but I tap the Hippo on the shoulder and whisper: "More chance for me to cuddle with her. Just let her." Making the Hippo smile at me widely before I move over.  
Carmelita then entrances me as she pats a part of the seat next to her and I happily move myself back into the position we were in before, with the gorgeous fox in my arms and her body closely laying against mine before I look over to the entire team, the family of foxes, my Hippo friend and his mentor making me feel very happy.

Yet, upon another sweep around the room with my eyes do I feel a strange thought or memory twitching in the back of my mind and while feeling curious as to why, do I allow for this thought to lead me, getting back out of the chair and kissing Carmelita on her nose before I lovingly mutter: "Be right back."  
I then move back into the hallway and to the left, up a staircase that looks similar to the first we took, but then in better state and with brown metal handrail and once I reach the upper floor, do I move over to the third door on the right – the entire hallway actually made out of several sets of doors – and enter my own bedroom.  
Looking around in curiosity as to why this strangely nagging thought led me here do I feel my gaze landing on the hard wooden pedestal in the left front corner of the room, where a circle of bright green light made out of lasers is surrounding the pedestal, upon which an ancient looking tome with golden and blue lettering is rested.

I walk over to the Thievius Raccoonus and pull off my glove, pressing the palm of my hand against the wall of laser light and feeling the laser itself scanning the fur on my hand and my fingerprints before the whole thing turns bright white and recedes down into the floor, where a single ring of light remains glowing.  
I open the book that my ancestors have – throughout the centuries – left for me and my family and page through it, my eyes raking over the pages in lightning speed as I rely only on the instincts within me driven by that thought and then, without really understanding why, do I stop leafing through the book at Sir Galleth Cooper's section.  
Wondering why my Medieval Ancestor chose now to call me from the world beyond, do I intensively read his section, trying to find a link between the – sometimes – over-dramatic Raccoon and my newly expanded team, before suddenly the whole thing makes sense and I start browsing again, moving further down Galleth's section.

Finding what I am looking for three pages further down the section, do I read what Galleth did two years after founding the Cooper Order and think: "Of course, Sir Galleth was the first Cooper to have a team consisting out of more than three people and since then, Coopers have been allowed to make canes for their extended teammates."  
At this I can't help but imagine what Carmelita would look like if she were to use a cane instead of her trusted shock-pistol before a new shock runs through me and think: "That Shock-Pistol is Interpol Property. If Carmelita resigns her job, she will be forced to hand that and her badge in. She and her family will need new weaponry."  
And with that do I happily close the book, step back and pull a long red silk lever that is dangling from the top of the pedestal, making the laser shield reactivate itself before, with a very proud and accomplished smile on my face, I move back down, entering the living room and happily cuddling up with my beloved.

"You okay, Sly?" I nod at Murray, who seems as confused as to my temporary departure as the rest and I say: "Yeah, I just thought of something that could pose as a problem if we were to indeed start training our new teammates." The Hippo tilts his head in confusion and while Bentley rolls into the room, do I say:  
"Their lack of weaponry." The two look shocked and then Helena hits herself on the head as she says: "He's right. If we resign – which we will – we'll have to hand in our badge and pistols and then where will we be." At this Bentley and Murray send each other worried glances, Murray even having his teeth showing in worry as I say:  
"Well luckily, my ancestry came with a solution for that which is why I had to be away from you lovely people for a few minutes. My ancestors were calling me from the world beyond and had me check out one of the sections of our family manual in which I found exactly the right Cooper Law that can help us solve this little issue."  
Everyone looks at me interested and while keeping on arm around my beloved Carmelita do I use the other to reach behind me and grab my cane, swirling the weapon in fast spinning circles in my hand before slamming the bottom part on the floor next to my seat and I happily say: "I'll be making canes – for all of us."

Everyone looks at me shocked and I say: "Sir Galleth Cooper, an ancestor of mine that lived around 1300, founded a large group of thieves that he called the Cooper Order and with that became the First Cooper to not just use a team of three. Since then, if there are more than three teammates, are Cooper canes allowed for all members."  
The shock remains and I say: "Hey, I offered Bentley and Murray to make canes for them before we left to hunt down the Fiendish Five, but they somehow already knew this was against my Family laws and told me to wait until I had the Thievius Raccoonus restored. The thought has been coming back to me since Guru joined us."  
At this does Carmelita lie a single hand on my chest, her eyes both longing as well as unsure and she asks: "And you really think you can make canes for all of us, Sly?" Before Bentley suddenly gasps and shouts: "SO THAT'S WHY?" Shocking and confusing even me as he takes a deep breath to calm down and tells us all:

"When we were in Canada and had taken care of Jean Bison and his ridiculous fight against Nature, did Sly convince Murray and me to not just take the Clockwerk Parts with us, but several packages of different kinds of chopped wood as well. Even he never got why, but now it all makes sense. Those pieces of wood are to make Canes."  
This makes me smile as I remember how confused Bentley and Murray had been while doing this, having done it shortly after making sure that all three of the strongest trains Jean Bison was using were out of order and having secured the Clockwerk stomach and lunges, yet before we had noticed how Carmelita again needed our help.  
I nod at my friend and say: "I may not have realized then that I would ever get the chance to expand my team, but I'm still glad that we had used some local contacts of ours in America to ship the whole thing to one of our emergency safe houses before following the trail of the Northern Lights to the Lumberjack Camp of the Bison."

"You have emergency safe houses?" Carmelita asks in shock and Bentley nods as he says: "Of course, the first thing we always do when arriving somewhere is setting up a safe house. That's why our van is as large as it is, it needs to be able to store provisions and outfits that we can use for an entire month to longer if needed."  
The fox nods and her brother whistles as he says: "This whole Master Thief business is sure a lot more complex than I ever thought it to be. Pretty cool, though, I'm excited to learn it all." Which makes me smile at the slightly older fox before I share another glance with my three teammates and when they all nod, do I say:  
"That's good, because we have a mayor heist planned and were actually gathering team members for exactly that heist. So if you're in for the business and the training, you're in for the heist. Which will definitely be hard, but it will also make you all ready for the biggest heist my team has ever pulled in all its illustrious career."

The foxes now all look amazed and excited and Bentley pulls the old map out of his wheelchair, where he had stowed it away to make sure we always had it on hand while traveling and while he lays it open, does he point to one of the smaller islands shown on the large map and says: "This is Kaine Island, just southwest of Miami.  
It is home to the Cooper Vault, a vault that is said to hold all of the loot and treasure all of Sly's ancestors have ever stolen before him. We want to get in there, but the island itself is currently in hands of some guy named Dr. M. and the guy has fortified the place so thoroughly, it makes Fort Knox look like a Child's playpen."  
The Foxes look at the map in shock and I say: "It's the whole reason I broke into Heathrow Prison, the Italian Museum and Carmelita's office a few months ago. It's also the reason we now have Guru on our team and that we have Murray back from his Dreamtime Training course. That vault – is my rightful inheritance."  
And while I don't say it out loud, can I easily see on the expressions of those around me that they understand exactly the words I do not pronounce: "And I got to get in there." I then look at the map again, Carmelita's eyes wide as she looks at it from besides me and she whispers: "No wonder you broke into my office."

I smile at my lady love and then Helena asks: "So once you finish training us we will head for this island here?" To which Bentley answers: "Yes, unless we feel that there are still skills missing. We know you are capable, the divisions in which you worked having proven that, but getting Sly in there is top priority."  
The female Fox smiles at my friend and I look from them to a small bit of floor near the large bookcase and say: "Better get started." But Bentley interrupts me and says: "Oh no, you're not. Discussing this for the sake of them understanding what's at stake is one thing, but you're a birthday boy, not a full-time worker."  
I smile at my friend and Carmelita pulls me back from where we are all leaning over the map as she says: "It's still your birthday, señor guapo, please just try and enjoy it." To which I can't help but smile at her and say: "I always enjoy whatever time I get to spend with you, mia signora amore, so that I can indeed do."

Then Murray stands up and says: "I'll go prepare the birthday cake. Oh and hey, Sly? Do you think we could do our once a month thing? You know, for your birthday and all?" At this I brighten up like the sun itself and Bentley says: "That's a great idea, Murray. Want to use our new recruits as topic for the night, perhaps?"  
Murray and I nod, my face lit with excitement and Carmelita's mother asks: "What's your Once a Month Thing?" To which Bentley answers: "Once a month Sly, Murray and I hold this little contest to see who has improved most in our more artistic talents. Sly's leading with 5 points, but Murray's only 1 point ahead of me now."  
Now Carmelita looks at me shocked and I say: "Bentley uses the pictures I take for Recon to portray a certain theme of a song he plays off on his computer, Murray either presents a sculpture or a painting and I sing. So far the guys constantly think I should win several contests because my songs come closest to the chosen subject."  
The brown eyes of my beloved look at me curiously and with wonder and just by looking at her, do I know she will be the main topic of my song, making me smile widely as a good 40 songs already rush through my head just at all the thoughts I have ever thought about her and how to express them in spoken words – or better, words of song.

"So what topics have you used so far?" Carmelita's father asks me and I say: "We've used strength, we've used certain countries, we used past, present, future, we've used friendship, we've used – damn, what haven't we used, Bentley?" The turtle laughs and says: "Hundreds and hundreds of topics, Sly. Seriously, hundreds and hundreds."  
I nod, while the man himself looks highly intrigued and then I finally get the courage to ask what has been on my mind this entire time and ask: "Sir, what are the names of you and your wife? I kind of forgot to ask when you and your family overwhelmed us all with your acceptance to join our team, you see?"  
The man looks shocked and then slaps himself on the head and says: "Madre y Dios, he's right. We were all so into Carmelita's suffering and finding a suitable plan out of it, not to mention Sly's birthday party, we completely forgot to introduce ourselves." He then smiles at me with kind sorrow and says:  
"Forgive me, Senor Cooper, my name is Marcus and this is my wife, Sophia. You've already met my youngest daughters, Carmelita, years ago." At this I can only laugh before the man says: "The lad here who brought up our actual plan is my son, Cheren and the girl who gave you the ultimatum of taking all of us in, is my daughter, Helena."

To this I can't help but smile as all the names sound very special, Spanish and very much like the kind of names you would expect from a family that holds such powerful, yet caring and greatly lovable people and then Bentley slaps his hands together and asks: "So, what kind of abilities do you think we can use for the Cooper Vault job?"  
This makes me look at the family of foxes in excitement and Sophia smiles as she says: "Well, I would like to admit that I am a very dedicated and highly skilled healer, having the reputation of having saved a congressman working for the United Nations about four years ago now." This alone makes me whistle and Marcus says:  
"My specialty is really my speed. I have legs that are sometimes said to be made of steel bars instead of actual muscle and if I were to really put my focus to it, I can outrun most of the best cars used for professional racing." At this I whistle again, while my mind wonders in how many ways and methods we can use speed like that.  
Helena is next and says: "I'm kind of one of those special cases in the Fox line, where I have inherited the ability to use any and every weapon known to men. I can use canes, swords, longbows, short bows, knives, lances, shields and anything else that could be made to fight with." At this my eyes turn wide and I think: "Hot damn, what a skill."

I then turn to Cheren, who has actually turned quite red and he says: "I – well, I'm not sure you can really make use of my skill, but – well, I can – ehm, how do I put this?" At this I raise my eyebrow, not believing that someone who had been so confident and caring earlier now looks so shy and insecure of himself.  
"Oh hush, you, hermano mayor. Sly, if you ever get in a pickle or somewhere you actually get caught where you don't want to get caught, Cheren is the guy for you. He can actually analyze an opponent's attack in the blink of an eye and then turn his entire form in such a way, the attack is redirected back at the attacker himself."  
This shocks the living daylights out of me, making my eyes wide as saucers as I look at the slightly bulkier fox before me, who now looks like someone much younger than me and who's as shy as Bentley was before the end of our Fiendish Five caper and the boy mutters: "I – I guess I can help, you know, like that."  
And the smile that is now gracing his face makes me feel very proud of the elder raccoon and I say: "You'll make a great addition to the team, no doubt about it. Now, I do have a few questions and the first one is for you, Marcus." The man nods, while Bentley seems a little cross that I am again talking business and I say:

"You say you can run with the speed of a professional race car. My question to you, how well – while running – can you turn and move out of the way of, say, enemy fire?" The man cringes and says: "I mostly use my skill to actually catch getaway cars long after the suspect has been disarmed. Never really needed to do so, you see?"  
I nod and mutter: "Guess that's something we'll have to work on then." To which Bentley groans and I ask: "Now for you, Sophia. How much medication do you usually need to heal someone and out of how much natural environment can you make the equipment needed to perform medical attention to someone badly injured?"  
The Fox shrugs and says: "I once had to make an actual stethoscope out of nothing more than some very small bamboo twigs and a few Chestnuts." This again makes my eyes widen and makes me turn to Bentley as he says: "If that's not the kind of medic we need for out in the field operations, then you can call me a tortoise."

And while I turn my eyes skyward as Bentley's had a personal vendetta against tortoises since he was twelve years old, do I ignore this little jibe and ask: "Last one for you, Helena. You say you can use any weapon ever known to men, but have you ever tried fighting in the Yukon with just an icicle spear you pulled off some frozen roof?"  
The female fox looks shocked and shakes her head as she says: "I – I didn't find my talent until joining Interpol and there you always get equipped exactly the kind of weapon you will need for whatever mission you get placed on. I always make sure to have handmade holsters, but else – I never needed such natural weapons."  
"Another thing to work on then. Remember, a Master Thief is always prepared for anything. How else can we constantly make sure to avoid both the law-defending cops and the law-offending criminals we chase after?" The Foxes nod and Bentley says: "Okay, so we've established powers and things we need to work on.

Now can we please get back to your birthday party?" The Turtle asks exasperated and while I want to laugh at this, is the laughter caught short as suddenly I feel Carmelita's hands slowly move themselves up from the downside of my stomach and back, one on each side, while the fox herself purrs and whispers into my ear:  
"I quite agree. I don't believe I've been a good birthday gift so far, after all. Constantly making it so you feel like talking about things you shouldn't even have to worry about on a day like this." And while her hands keep running in circles over my chest and upper back, can I barely contain how avidly my tail is flapping behind me.  
Taking a deep breath to get back my self-control as I have never before had the chance to experience having this amazing woman this close to me, let alone her being so very willing to be this close in my presence, do I try to regain as much of my nerve and smooth self-confidence as I can grasp onto before her words sink into my mind.  
Instantly the suave, ever fluent gentlemen that I have groomed myself to be since meeting this gorgeous vixen flares back up and Carmelita lets out a shocked squeal as I grab her around the waist, pull us both out of my chair and move her to lean over my crouched leg, her eyes locking with my own as I mutter back:

"Oh, I think you're wrong, my Carmen. I think you are being a most amazing birthday present. Being in my presence, allowing me to charm and woo you, flattering me and showing me that all the times I have flirted and complimented you have actually made you fall for me. Oh yes, I think you are being a terrific birthday present, quite indeed."  
The vixen in my arms giggles at my words and says: "And there's that ever charming, ever handsome raccoon that I fell for long before I could even realize it." This makes me send her a smoldering look of love, causing for her cheeks to tinge red as I whisper huskily: "Only for you, mi zorra, ever and always only for you."  
I then pull her back so that we are again standing up right, but then make sure to have her close to my form, my arms wrapped around her waist and my face in her hair, making me softly sniff in that delicious perfume of hers before I mutter: "Is that delicious scent coming from your hair a perfume or is it your own, mi dulce flor?"

Carmelita turns red at hearing this and says: "I – I borrowed some of Urmilla's shampoo and took one last quick shower before getting dressed in my new outfit. I – I wanted to be absolutely certain I was everything you ever wanted for a birthday gift." This alone touches my heartstrings beyond anything and I move us both.  
Move us so that I am now again locking gazes with her and when Carmelita seems the fiery love that I can feel burning within my eyes and heart, do I huskily mutter: "The only thing I ever wanted for a birthday gift, Carmelita mi siempre preciosa, is you. You and you alone. You need nothing to add to the perfection that is you."  
This makes all of the fur on Carmelita's face turn from orange to red and then, while tears start to shimmer in her beautiful eyes, does she move herself so that her face again lies against my chest and she whispers: "Why? Why didn't I listen to those sweet words before now? Why did I wait this long to be with you?"

And while part of me feels angry over one of the reasons I believe she did so, do I not let this anger fuel me and do I instead hold her tightly, whispering in her ear: "Because you are the incredible Carmelita Montoya Fox, who has always been strong, independent and ever caring for others, even if they themselves don't know it."  
"Including yours truly." I want to add, but don't and instead of that, do I just move back to again sit on my favorite chair and ask: "Anyone up for some TV while we wait for Murray and the cake?" To which Bentley instantly grabs the remote, obviously wanting to keep up my need to celebrate my birthday and asks:  
"What channel, Sly?" To this I shrug and say: "Just start flipping, Bentley. We'll see where we can end up." The turtle nods and starts slowly flipping through the channels, telling the others with his eyes not to make a comment and making me raise my eyes skyward as this is obviously another privilege I get for my birthday.

* * *

 _ **And here I end this part.  
**_ _ **Why do I end it here? Because this chapter is already ten pages long and there are still five pages already written, plus who knows how many more that will be written about this special day of Sly's. Now I know that so far this entire story has been surrounding Sly's birthday, but the rest of the story will come soon.  
**_ _ **I just need some time and this story isn't always easy as sometimes I find myself having a hard time letting the storyline move on and at the same time implementing the need for Carmelita and Sly to grow ever closer and this whole 'On your birthday I'm yours' plan of Carmelita's is the whole reason I even made this story.  
**_ _ **Hope you understand,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

 _ **Translations again:  
**_ _ **la mia splendida is Italian for My Gorgeous  
**_ _ **carissimo amante is Italian for Dearest Lover  
**_ _ **sì is Italian for Yes  
**_ _ **innamorato is Italian for Lover  
**_ _ **mio amore is Italian for My Love.  
**_ _ **calmi, il mio amore. egli non può farti del male. calma ora.**_ _ **Is Italian for Calm, my love. He cannot hurt you. Calm now.  
**_ _ **Sfarzoso is Italian for Gorgeous  
**_ _ **Tirón is Spanish for Jerk  
**_ _ **gracias a Dios por eso, hijo.**_ _ **Gracias a dios is Spanish for Thank God for that, son. Thank God.  
**_ _ **Querido is Spanish for Darling  
**_ _ **Siempre is Spanish for always.  
**_ _ **señor guapo is Spanish for Mr. Handsome  
**_ _ **mia signora amore is Italian for My Lady Love  
**_ _ **hermano mayor is Spanish for Big Brother  
**_ _ **mi zorra is Spanish for My Vixen  
**_ _ **mi dulce flor is Spanish for My Sweet Flower**_


	4. The Hide-out And The Party - Part 02

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **So I ended last chapter off a little shortly and on a really weird place, but the whole watching of the show they find is at least three pages long and I didn't – like I said – want to make the chapter be longer than necessary. I really hadn't expected that the chapter would be that long, but I am still proud of what I wrote.  
**_ _ **Also, there might be a few familiar names and song titles showing up in this chapter and I just want to say this really quickly: DON'T! OWN! ANYTHING! I have no copyrights, I do not own anything I have written that is considered other people's property and I am in NO way making money out of writing this here chapter.  
**_ _ **Capish? Good,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Pedro**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

We search for about twenty channels and then suddenly find one that catches my interest, making me say: "Just a sec, Bentley, take one back, would you pall?" The Turtle seems interested and flips back a single channel, my eyebrow raising itself in interest as I see how a group of people seem to be seated backward to a large stage.  
"Ooooh, the voice of France. I didn't know the new season had begun yet." Sophia then giggles and Carmelita nods, lying with her back against my front and having my arms wrapped around her slender, gorgeous waist as she says: "I think I watched the first episode last night, mama, this must be the repetition of that."  
"What exactly are we looking at here?" I can't help but ask and Sophia says: "A new talent show. Started big in Holland I heard and has been going on there for the longest time. It starts with several thousands of people being judged only on how well and fluently they can sing and to be sure the judges are thorough on that –."

At this I nod and say: "I see, because of that are they seated backwards. So they can't base their pick on how someone looks, only on the tone of their voice and how well they can take a song. Pretty smart, I like it." To which Bentley mutters: "You would, Mr. I could have been a super star were it not for my heritage."  
At this I can't help but laugh hard, but then I hear applause coming from the audience shown on the screen and instead turn an attentive ear and view onto the screen itself, finding myself highly intrigued by the sweet young panther girl that has appeared on stage with a microphone in hand and with khaki jeans showing off her legs.  
The panther nods at the orchestra behind her and they start playing, my mind instantly reviewing all of the songs I know and I mutter: "Well, what do you know. That's _breakaway_ from Hillary Duff, isn't it?" The group nods, Carmelita smiling at me, but when the girl ends long before the song is supposed to, do I tilt my head and say:  
"Short song, I thought it was longer than that." To which Marcus says: "It is, Sly, but because there are so many contestants did they make it a rule that the song itself has to be shortened to the duration of 90 seconds. That way the judges can make a proper choice and more people a day can participate in time, you understand?"

I nod and listen as a few more contestants show up, the third of them being a wolf with very short muzzle for his kind, who wears a very fancy brown suit with white shirt and who takes on the incredible song of _Purest of Pain_ by Son by Four, but then, halfway through the first chorus do I get shocked by something.  
One of the judges suddenly presses a button in front of them and the words _I want you_ appear underneath the chair, while the chair itself actually turns to access the stage, making the wolf smile widely as he sees the snow leopard that poses as the judge having turned around and once the song is over, do I ask:  
"Is that good?" The Foxes nod and Carmelita answers: "That means the wolf – I think his name is Jack – can go onto the next round. He's in the race to become France's next big singer." This makes me smile and I ask: "Why didn't they do that for that little warthog girl. She did _Because of You_ pretty darn good too."  
The Foxes shrug and say: "I'm guessing she missed a few notes or something. Sometimes the cameras zoom in on the judges when they discuss someone who they didn't pick and sometimes they don't. I think they skipped that with her." This makes me nod in understanding and then, as Jack shakes the leopard's hand, do I watch on.

A few more contestants show up before a sudden commercial break gets announced and I lean back from where I had been leaning my arms onto my knees, feeling highly interested in a contest like this and I can't help but wonder: "You think my police record would be too great for me to give this thing a try sometime?"  
Everyone looks shocked, but then Helena smiles and says: "You'd be too late anyway, Sly. They don't show the Blind Auditions or the Battles – which is the next round – until they only need a few more Battles. That way, once the Battles are over, they can instantly move onto the actual live shows, which include the finals."  
I nod and Carmelita kisses me softly on the cheek as she says: "Just try next year, okay Ringtail? We'll let you know where to be and when to show up there." To this I smile and turn to her, wrapping both my arms back around her waist as I ask: "And you'll be there too to cheer me on, Carmelita?" The girl's nod making me smile.

Then, just when Murray brings in an amazing platter with large silver top, does the commercial break end and does the opening song for the series appear again, Murray getting slightly shocked at hearing this, but not enough that he drops the plate. He sets it down with haste and asks: "What was that? It shocked me."  
"That's a new show, big guy. It's called the Voice of France. And I'm planning to enter it next year." The Hippo tilts his head and Bentley says: "It's a contest for singers where you get picked to be in the competition on nothing but the sound of your voice. That's why the judges are all turned away from the stage, you see?"  
The Hippo turns to the TV and then asks: "Hey Sly, isn't that your song?" And just then do my sensitive ears pick up the first tunes to the actual Hoobastank Song called _The Reason_ making me turn back to the screen swiftly and with wide eyes as I can see a large, bulky bull standing on stage with mic in hand.  
"What? No way can someone that bulky sing a song like that. It's just not possible for his lunges to generate the right kind of volume or for his –." Bentley wants to continue ranting, but I shush the turtle and snitch the remote from him, turning up the volume as I listen to how the bull actually puts his heart into the song.

Everyone gets shocked at hearing this and I can't help but think: "I always sing that because I can't stand how often I anger and irritate Carmelita, let alone all the trouble I always got her in with my own enemies. What on earth happened to this guy that he can sing this song with such heart? Who on earth could he have lost? And how?"  
And just when my thought process ends, does the song end too and Bentley says: "I – I stand corrected. I – I always thought Sly was the only one who could sing that song with – with so – so much –." And I answer for the speechless turtle: "So much heart. So much pain over doing something to someone you really don't want to."  
Now Carmelita looks at me and I say: "I was never proud of how angry I got you during our hunts, my darling, or how chasing me got you in constant trouble with those I was hunting down like Clockwerk and the Contessa." The girl nods and smiles at me before I suddenly notice how all four of the judges have their seats turned.

"Humph, only better they all turned. That guy can really make it far if he can continue to sing like that. Sure wonder what happened to him, though." I mutter softly as I listen to how the judges actually vocally harass each other in order to tempt the guy to chose their team and Bentley says: "I'll see if I can look it up."  
I nod and while the typing of Bentley on his computer is only slightly distracting, do I listen as to how the bull apparently picks the red mane-colored lion on the far left of the row of judges and Helena nods in agreement as Sophia says: "Oh yes, Chriss Mayer will definitely be able to help this nice fellow get very far, yes indeed."  
This makes me smile and then Bentley says: "Aha, found him." This makes us all turn to him and he cringes as he says: "Wow, that's harsh." He then looks up and says: "Looks like our bull-friend here was once a fighter in Vietnam and he even had a girlfriend in his own peloton. They were engaged to be married, but –."  
Already we all cringe and I ask: "She got killed?" But Bentley shakes his head and says: "Worse, she got captured by enemy troops and his commanding officer didn't accept any kind of bribes to get her back. He had to break the law and the Army's Code of Law to get her back and that made her actually lose one of her legs."

At this I grab onto Carmelita, feeling both terrified of having this happen to my great love as well as unworthy of believing myself perfect for a song like this in comparison to the man right now on screen and then we all see it. The female cow that had been watching from a side room now rushes at the bull and we can all clearly see her amputated leg.  
Tears appear in the eyes of Helena and Sophia as they see this and Murray, being closest to my beloved's sister, sits himself on the arm rest of her chair and pulls her close, Helena happily moving her face into the strong muscles of Murray's chest while Marcus takes a softly crying Sophia in his arms with loving care.  
"I know they can use this as some kind of publicity stunt to upraise the chances of him winning the competition, but I don't think I've seen someone as talented as this guy before. Really hope he wins." I then mutter and everyone nods before Helena and Sophia seem to regain themselves and we watch a few more contestants.

Another one that gets chosen – a female cat with long white hair covering almost all of her form – gets two of the four judges to turn their chair with the song _Stronger_ by Britney Spears makes me smile as she definitely has the spunk and fiery attitude needed to put behind songs like that, but I shake my head nonetheless and say:  
"She won't get far. Her singing and fiery nature are good, but she misses the ability to really put power behind the right kind of words. It can make her mess up the whole rhythm between her singing and the actual band playing and that will definitely cost her a lot of points." By now Carmelita is smiling and we watch further.  
Another guy that gets through is a lean male zebra with stripes that are quite the interesting pattern and that actually intrigue me as much as his tone of voice and while I feel strongly touched by how he sings the song _Strong_ by Robbie Williams, does only one of the four coaches turn their chair and I shrug as I say:  
"Not too bad. His tone and the sound of his voice were a little off just before he went for the refrain, but else he did good. He definitely has the right baritone for these kind of songs, though I think with the right kind of help, he might be able to change genres a little easier." Everyone smiles widely and Bentley says:

"I know what we're watching from now on." Making me laugh before another commercial breaks hits the screen and Murray says: "Okay, show's on break. Time for the birthday cake." He then stops for a second and says: "Hey, I rhymed." Making all of us laugh hard before he takes the top off of the platter, making me fall silent in shock.  
A triple layered chocolate cake that has white food-painted pictures of Carmelita's face all over the upper layer, with yellow and red colored pictures of her old suit in yellow and new suit in red on the second layer and yellow pictures of her face and bright blue pictures of my own on the bottom, the two of us constantly looking at each other.  
"I had already made the chocolate cake a few days ago, but I wanted to wait to add pictures until we had met with Urmilla and when Carmelita joined the team, did I decide to make this a double special occasion and welcome her into the team as well." The Hippo then says as he motions for the cake and Carmelita smiles at him.

"Thank you, Murray, that is incredibly sweet of you." The vixen says and I smile widely at the big Hippo, my eyes conveying how happy I am with him for having done this for my lady love and then Bentley moves over with several candles in his hands, putting them all on the cake and using one of his gadgets to light them up.  
"Make a wish, Sly. It is your birthday after all." At this I look from him to my beloved and then ask: "How can I wish for anything when everything I have ever wanted is already here with me?" The turtle sighing and asking: "Are you sure?" To which I nod and say: "I'm content, Bentley, so yes, I'm perfectly sure."  
The turtle nods and uses another gadget to blow the candles out before Murray takes over and cuts the cake into several pieces, giving two larger pieces to myself and Carmelita, who smiles and says: "You know, you could have used the birthday wish to wish for good luck on next year's competition." But to this I shrug and ask:  
"Why wish for luck, when I feel like the luckiest man on earth just by having you close to my side. No Carmelita, I won't be needing a birthday wish to win that competition. I'll only need you and the gang to cheer me on." The fox giggles and just then does the commercial break end and does the last part of the show restart.

We all watch intensely, me stretching my ears whenever someone with real talent takes the stage and while with some of them – like a very friendly looking antelope who sings the incredible song _frozen_ by Madonna, yet doesn't get any chairs turned – I feel myself wondering what could have been wrong about them, do I enjoy myself.  
All in all, do another fifteen singers show up on stage, eight of them getting chairs turned and five out of those eight getting more than one chair turned, before the announcers, a very stunning female scorpion and a very strong yet slim looking panda, report the end of the show and comment on how to tune in again next week on Tuesday.  
By this time have we all finished at least two plates of cake and is there only a few more slices left, some of the food-paint actually having smudged down onto the plate itself and while Marcus reaches for the remote, do I suddenly notice something that makes a large, playful grin slowly grow upon my face before I move quickly.

My lips form themselves around a few of the hairs on my darling's cheek and while her eyes turn wide and her cheeks turn pink, do I try my very hardest to hold back the moan of enjoyment as I suck the small crumbs of chocolate cake off her fur before I whisper: "Carmelita Fox and chocolate cake; has there ever been a better mix?"  
Making Cheren and Helena laugh hard and making Carmelita turn even worse before I decide to prove her I am only jesting and just as quickly as I wrapped my lips around the fur on her cheek, do I seal her lovely lips with mine, daring myself to lick those divine lips and actually gaining an open-mouthed moan of accepted entrance.  
I lick a few of the crumbs that I had sucked from her fur away from my cheek and teeth and then gently move my tongue into her mouth, her own tongue instantly moving to wrap itself around mine and another moan escaping her throat as she tastes the chocolate that is lying on my tongue and that she licks off herself.  
I then break the kiss and whisper almost soundlessly: "That good too?" Making Carmelita smile at me before she answers me with yet another kiss, me loving the fact that I am having a birthday party with this incredible fox being my birthday present and after kissing her for a little while longer, do I simply chill with her in my chair.

Bentley and the others, in the mean time, seem to understand that Carmelita and I are no longer interested in the TV and start flipping through the channels again, Helena being the one to point one out and while, with only a single eye, I pay attention to what is on, do I put my full focus on where it really belongs; in my lap.  
Here Carmelita is seated, her legs on both sides of mine and her body fitting mine as if she were fitted on my entire body like a furred glove, making me all the more pleased with the clear evidence that she and I are meant for each other and while the shows watched by my friends come and go, do I just enjoy her presence.

Then suddenly, does Bentley tap me on the shoulder and when I look at him with a raised eyebrow, does he ask: "Sly, it's an hour to dinner. Maybe it's best if you start picking a song for our own little contest, huh?" And while really wanting to remain exactly where I am, do I sigh as I give my shell-armored friend right.  
Carmelita looks up at me from where she almost fell asleep on my lap and I whisper: "Just mingle with your family, my love. I will see you at dinner, okay?" The Fox nods and while standing up and stretching her gorgeous body for my eyes to behold, does she throw a quick loving smile over her shoulder before joining her mum.  
I then take another deep breath, mostly to steel my resolve of leaving the room and preparing myself for our monthly little contest and then follow Bentley into the hallway, my body moving so that I spare one last quick glance around the doorframe before heading up the staircase, Bentley floating in front of me with his hover pack.

"I still can't believe she's here, Bentley." I then whisper softly and Bentley hums as he says: "I know what you mean, Sly. I mean, I always thought that if we wanted Carmelita to even like you, we would have to actually do what Urmilla hinted that she had done. You know, tie her up and everything. To have her here willingly –."  
The turtle sighs and shrugs at the same time, his expression shocked confusion and I smile down at the staircase, my heart racing at the mere thought of the vixen that awaits me downstairs and Bentley says: "You sure have a lot wider arrange of songs to chose from now, though, now that we know just what Carmelita feels for you."  
Which only causes for my smile to widen and I sigh before I ask: "Did you ever imagine this would happen, Bentley? That Carmelita – my ever lovely Carmelita – would openly admit to loving me back? Have you ever thought that possible other than in your wildest dreams?" But the Turtle smiles and asks:  
"Don't you mean your own, lover boy?" Making me playfully glare at him as I had, only once, decided to share one of my wilder fantasies of Carmelita with the turtle and I say: "Hey, now that Carmelita's on the team, that might just happen." Making the turtle turn absolutely tomato red as he shouts back:

"Will you please not remind me of that?" Making me laugh as I pass him into my room and close the door behind me, not moving myself to my rack of cd's, but rather over to my own bed, where I turn, lay myself down on my bed and release a deep breath full of exuberance and all the love I have felt for the fox downstairs for all these years.  
"All these years and now I finally have a real chance to show her once and for all just how special, adorable and wonderful she really is to me, not to mention how important I consider her for the sake of the future of the Cooper Line." And with that do I again allow myself to succumb to one of my happier fantasies.  
A fantasy of me and Carmelita, living together somewhere warm and sunny, having a house that has at least two stories and has a backyard large enough it flawlessly slips into our front yard and where my beloved and I are sharing a sun lounger on the front porch, while several of our little ones are running around in front of us.  
Envisioning there to be four of them, do I happily envision a little Raccoon boy with Carmelita's incredible looks and my eyes, a Raccoon girl that – were it not for her gender – would have been the spitting image of me, a fox girl that is just as beautiful as her mother, but then with my fur and eye color and a male fox with my body strength.

This vision makes the smile on my face almost feel painful in its intensity and then I jump back up from my bed, make an extra summersault to release some of my excitement for the vision I have made within my head and then rush for my rack, my finger racing over the collection and my mind going over the numbers on all CD's.  
Then suddenly, in the near middle of my rack do I find a CD I barely ever play, but of which I have always loved one song very much and I think: "Carmelita's now both my girlfriend and my partner. If there were ever a song that will prove to her once and for all how committed I am to keeping those bonds alive, it's definitely that one."  
And with that do I smile widely, taking the CD from the rack and quickly checking which number the song is on to make sure I can instantly get to it once it's my turn for the contest and then rush over to my own little laptop, hitting the Net and checking out the lyrics to double-check if the song is indeed as perfect as I envisioned.

My eyes rake over the text and while I can't help but hum and mutter: "I'll have to change shy into proud as Carmelita is anything but shy, but else – yes, this is definitely the one." And with that do I print the text and lay back down on my bed, reading it through a few more times to make sure I have the whole text memorized.  
Then suddenly, does Murray shout from downstairs and I realize that my fantasy, searching for the CD, the lyrics and memorizing it all must have taken me a full hour and while tucking the paper underneath my golden belt with blue cooper-symbol attached to the belt buckle, do I rush down, eager to see my beloved.

Carmelita herself has taken a seat next to the one I sat on during lunch and I happily rush into the seat next to her, shocking her into looking my way and stealing a kiss before she can fully recover, feeling my toes curl at pressing my lips against those of the gorgeous vixen before I can't help myself and blurt out: "Miss me, gorgeous?"  
Making Carmelita laugh, her happy smile and the way her cheeks turn up as she laughs making my heart sing at the sight before me. The vixen then moves herself so that her head is again lying under my chin and she mutters back: "Mmmm, you bet, but I missed that hot manly warmth you emit even more, Ringtail."  
To which, while I wonder how she can say such a thing in front of her own two parents without feeling embarrassed, do I smirk at her playfully and say: "Ah my darling Carmelita, the only reason I am that hot to the touch is because the mere sight of you sets my entire form aflame with the love that burns deep within my heart for you."

"Alright, alright, that's enough already. It's dinner time, you two, so quit the flirting and get yourself a plate, will you? You can cuddle and flirt when we're back in the living room." Marcus then tells us, yet just by the tone of his voice do I realize that the man isn't even angry at what we said as he sounds highly amused with the whole thing.  
Feeling glad that I didn't turn the father of my gorgeous girlfriend against me, do I move back to kiss Carmelita on top of her forehead and say: "I just can't get enough of it, you know?" The fox looks inquisitive and I continue: "Actually calling you my girlfriend in my mind. The mere thought makes my heart sing with joy."  
"Then I hope Murray's meal with do the same with your stomach because Marcus is right. Enough already!" Bentley tells me and only then do I realize that Murray has made us his famous spaghetti with blue cheese sauce – a recipe the hippo invented and perfected during the final years we lived in the Happy Camper Orphanage.

Lighting up at the sight of the white bluish sauce, do I happily make sure to have a large plate full for both myself and my darling Carmelita, setting the plate where I evenly matched the pasta with the sauce in front of her, before setting the plate that has almost forty percent more sauce than pasta in front of myself.  
Carmelita looks at this and I say: "Just take a bite, you'll understand." The fox nods and we all eat, all of the foxes moaning in shocked delight when they take their first bite of Murray's sauce and I myself almost losing sight of my manners as I feel like gorging down every bite, something only the meals of my friends can bring out in me.  
This in itself makes me finish the meal quite quickly and while waiting alongside Bentley, do we both happily smile at each other at the clear ways that both the Fox family and our new member Guru are enjoying their dinner as sounds of enjoyment are constantly escaping at least one of their throats after taking or swallowing a bite.

Dinner is therefore, a very fun and enjoyable affair and when we are all done, is there barely even a small bit left off either the pasta or even a crumb of meat from the sauce left on any of the plates. We then all move over to the sink and this time, because of what happened at lunch, do I not even try to help Murray with the dishes.  
Instead of that do I quickly take Carmelita back in my arms, my body moving off its own accord and causing for my head to move itself into Carmelita's slim neck, my nose sniffing up the delicious combination of her shampoo and her own natural musk, which makes my tail whack with utter delight at smelling the combo scent.  
Carmelita herself seems to be enjoying the attention I lavish upon her very much as she happily relaxes into my arms and my mind instantly reverts back to all the teasing and flirting I used to do when in her presence, making me move my head from her neck up to her black-tipped ear as I playfully mutter:

"Such a sweet and beautiful birthday present Urmilla got me. Smelling absolutely diviner than divine and constantly allowing me my own wish to lavish her however I please. Tell me, my gorgeous little gift, what did this Raccoon thief do that got him lucky enough to have a gorgeous girl like you for an actual birthday gift?"

And while part of me feels ready for a witty comment or smart remark – like I had gotten shot back at me back in Venice – does Carmelita only smile and say: "You, Mr. Raccoon thief, proved yourself strong, worthy of my heart and both highly irresistible in looks and charms as well as capable of handling any of my character traits."  
And while I have no doubt she actually means all the times that she let her anger at Barkley and his treatment out on me with that last comment, does my heart still soar at the fact that this here beautiful fox has always trusted me like that, even when she didn't show it, yet I ignore all of these thoughts as I retort to her:  
"That good, huh? Well then, allow me to show you how badly I actually want to lavish and cherish you and all that you are for the rest of my life." And while excitement now makes a thrill run up Carmelita's spine, one I can sense due to how closely I am holding her against me, do I ask: "Will the dishes take you long, pall?"  
But Bentley seems to be working alongside Murray and says: "Not really, just go set up the special room, take the Foxes and the Guru there and don't forget to lower my beamer, will you Sly?" I nod and then, with one arm still around my beloved, do I motion the group of my newest troupe members to follow me.

Yet, instead of going right in the hallway and up the stairs or taking the door parallel to the kitchen door, do I turn left and move over a little further as I say: "The garage is located in the far north-eastern part of the house we stay in, yet the special room Bentley mentioned is actually stationed right next to it and under our trick room."  
The family looks intrigued and while I keep my arm around Carmelita, do I use my other to motion for the staircase behind us and say: "That leads a floor that almost the same height as the trick room and the first part of the hallway is filled with bedrooms. Murray, Bentley and I cleared out a good four of them before we went for the Outback."  
This makes the whole family smile, but then I realize something and mutter: "Uh-oh." Everyone looks at me and I say: "We've prepared four rooms, all of them with only a single bed, yet we are currently housing five new members. We're missing out one room." And all the others cringe as well, realizing my problem.

Then suddenly does Marcus ask: "You sure you don't have any double beds around here?" But I shrug and say: "This used to be a Hotel that got abandoned after the first World War. My Ancestor, Otto Van Cooper, who was born in Holland, actually stayed here for a few years before his passing, yet I don't know the entire interior."  
The man nods, the eyes of him and his wife showing their intrigue at what I have to share about my ancestor and then he says: "How about we have a quick search for double beds after that little contest of you and your friends. If we can find a bed for two, Sophia and I can share a room and then we'll have the problem solved."  
I nod at the man and feel both glad and a little disappointed as the feeling of Carmelita in my arms is one I am very much getting used to and the idea of taking her to my bed had definitely been flitting through my mind after realizing our dilemma, yet while I wish this could happen, do I respect the man enough not to propose the suggestion.  
We continue our walk and move over to the second door on the right, entering a large room that has a small, slightly upturned stage in the north western part of the room, while the room itself is almost egg-shaped with the smallest part being where the stage is centered and with a few rows of upraised seats in front of the stage.

"According to what I read, was this once a really popular hotel, but when music started changing drastically, did the hotel management not have the funds needed to supply new instruments and after that the war broke out, making the hotel owners declare bankruptcy in order to keep some of their necessary emergency funds.  
My ancestor, however, sought refuge here in the very final year of the war, after he had used his own airplane the year before that to send Christmas presents to both sides of the battle field. He had accidentally led some Germans into this part of Paris and used the hotel to hide both himself and his aircraft until they retreated.  
He wrote all about his findings here and I even managed to find the secret little safe where he hid his treasures before returning home. Might show you sometime, but we can also – if you like – use that as an exercise for when you believe yourselves ready as Master Thieves." I explain to the family and then offer my little plan.

The Foxes nod happily and Cheren says: "I'll go for option #2, thanks." And his sisters and parents all nod in agreement with him before Bentley and Murray come in and Bentley asks: "Where's my beamer?" To which I shrug: "Sorry pal, got a little busy giving them a tour of the place and explaining its Cooper history."  
The turtle nods with an understanding smile and moves over to where the upraised chairs are, pulling on a lever that makes a very highly advanced beamer come down from the covered up ceiling, which is covered both in several ribbons of purplish-red silk as well as a warm dark purple rug covering the entire ceiling itself.  
He then coughs and says: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all be so kind as to take your seats, we will begin our little artistic competition. Murray, you asked to go first, so you can. We all agreed that the one to ask gets to go first when we decide to hold one of these. The stage is yours, oh master of the brush and stone."

This makes me smile widely as it had been a terrific day when we discovered just how great Murray could both use his muscles for punching as well as for the finer crafts such as painting and when he had first discovered this, had he made an amazing painting of a single small hummingbird showing itself on a dew covered grass field.  
That painting, along with many others, is actually hidden in a basement of which the stairs are hidden under the staircase leading up and while Murray had saved his paintings and statues there, had Bentley also left certain diagrams of pictures with which he had won competitions, as well as recordings of my winning songs.  
I then again gaze at my beloved, feeling more than ready to show her that her cunning thief has a wild, loving side to him as well as the song that I chose might be a little outdated, it still has a nice upbeat tempo and the texts are almost completely perfect for how I feel about Carmelita and what will happen now that she has become my girlfriend.

Then Murray, who had left the room to fetch his painting when Bentley gave him permission to go first, comes back into the room, his hands holding onto a canvas covered by old, leftover curtains and he sets it down on the pedestal Bentley had fetched while he had gotten his painting before he turns to all of us and says:  
"Well – ehm – that is. You see – eh – this painting, well –." At this Bentley and I share a smile as Murray always turns shy and insecure when starting these contests of ours and I happily ask him: "Come on, pall. Where's the powerful Murray, who can create a whole river sculpture with his own bare hands, huh?"  
This seems to intrigue and amaze Sophia, while at the same time it also seems to be exactly what Murray needs to hear as he nods and says: "Thanks, Sly. Anyway – I – eh – I made this painting to – ehm – celebrate what I hope will come out of the new relationship between my dear leader and his beloved girlfriend."

And while the sound of my best friend calling Carmelita my girlfriend makes my toes and tail curl in pleasure, does he lift the curtain off his painting, my eyes widening in amazement at what I see. A large and gorgeous park with lush green fields, while in the center there is a checkered blanket upon which several people are painted.  
I myself am actually there along with Carmelita, her parents and siblings and while Marcus and Sophia are painted to be leaning against each other with Marcus' arm around Sophia's shoulder, has Murray painted me so that I am leaning against a nearby tree with Carmelita in my lap and a single flower being used to tickle her nose.  
The sky behind all of us painted clear blue, with several small streaks of white indicating airplanes to have sailed across and with some small and some slightly larger clouds covering about a quarter of the rest of the sky and behind Cheren and myself can I see a whole field of the same kind of flower as that is in my painted hand.

Amazed that my best friend can paint something like this in the short amount of time since the Voice ended, do I feel a new sense of pride swell up deep within me and Bentley says: "Now there's a sight I would love to see become reality. Very well done, Murray, especially the way you painted the whole family so accurately."  
Murray turns slightly red and says: "Thank pall, so what do you think? Is the grass realistic enough? I didn't really get a chance to work on that, you know? Really wanted to get the whole picture there before starting on the more finer details." And while the Fox family remains amazed at what they see, do I say:  
"No worries, Murray. The way you put that field of flowers where it is makes the whole field look very realistic." I then share a look with Bentley and the turtle nods, me sending a quick questioning look to Murray, who nods as well, obviously accepting that we still have to be fair and deduct points, making me sigh as I say:

"Okay, in my opinion, the painting is realistic, very romantic and homey-feeling, yet I still have to deduct points for one very vital reason. If you had added some hidden cops here and there, it would have added to the realistic sense as, let's face it, in what country can any of us, especially me, enjoy such freedoms as depicted here."  
Bentley nods and says: "I agree. The painting is amazing, the fact he made it so accurately in such little time very remarkable, but he should have added at least some form of a threat to Sly's freedom to fully envision the reality of such an event taking place. I say – eight out of ten." Making me nod in agreement with my friend.  
Murray seems very happy with this and says: "Oh yea, try and beat that, you guys." Making us both laugh before I ask: "Care for the honors?" Bentley nods and says: "Might as well save the best for last, I believe." Making me wonder if the turtle perhaps knows what I am planning or if he's just suspecting and trying to make me spill my secret.

The turtle then rolls over to the stage and uses a second lever to pull down a large white screen before moving off stage and over to where the beamer is located, pulling out the CD player he always takes with him during these events and setting it next to the beamer before he turns off the lights in the room and says:  
"I picked this song as my way to prove that – even with everything Sly and his thieving and Barkley and his insults have put our proud inspector through – Carmelita is not someone to be messed with and can only come out on top. I also want to apologize for this as – well, after escaping you, Sly had often had the – well, just watch the slideshow."  
This alone makes me turn a little red as I realize what Bentley is planning to show and I think: "She's going to hate me for this. Thanks a ton, Bentley, weren't you trying to make me have a happy birthday all day?" Yet I just let my turtle friend do his thing, knowing it to be against contest rules to try and stop either of my opponents.  
Bentley then activates the beamer and Carmelita gasps as the first picture is of her, showing her off while apparently walking away from something and I whistle before muttering: "Didn't know you got that one too, pall." Making her look my way, yet out of feared shame of losing her, do I ignore this and focus on the song:

 _Oh hey, yeah_

 _Hush, just stop  
There's nothing you can do or say, baby  
I've had enough  
I'm not your property as from today, baby  
You might think that I won't make it on my own  
But now I'm_

 _Stronger, than yesterday  
Now it's nothing but my way  
My loneliness ain't killing me no more  
I, I'm stronger_

 _Than I ever thought that I could be, baby  
_

 _I used to go with the flow  
Didn't really care 'bout me  
You might think that I can't take it, but you're wrong  
'Cause now I'm_

 _Stronger, than yesterday  
Now it's nothing but my way  
My loneliness ain't killing me no more  
I, I'm stronger_

 _Come on, now  
Oh, yeah_

 _Here I go, on my own  
I don't need nobody, better off alone  
Here I go, on my own now  
I don't need nobody, not anybody  
Here I go, here I go, here I go  
Alright  
Here I go, here I go, here I go_

 _Stronger, than yesterday  
It's nothing but my way  
My loneliness ain't killing me no more  
I'm stronger, than yesterday  
Now it's nothing but my way  
My loneliness ain't killing me no more  
Now I'm stronger, than yesterday  
Now it's nothing but my way  
My loneliness ain't killing me no more  
I'm stronger!_

More and more pictures of Carmelita, some of her in battle poses, others actually of her chasing me, which makes me wonder who made those as I never got the chance for that and others of her storming off or arresting whoever we had taken out before she arrived show on the screen and while I admire the song, do I still feel fear.  
Fear for the anger that must be growing to boil under Carmelita's skin. Fear for how often I actually took a picture of her while on a mission of some sort. Fear for how I could have lost the only girlfriend I ever wanted on the same day she actually admitted to wanting to be mine. Fear for losing the one my heart loves beyond all else.  
Then Bentley ends the projection show and says: "Like I said, Carmelita is the kind of person that grows stronger and better no matter what you throw at her. She has been proving that with every criminal she caught and while a few years ago I considered her an honorary member, do I now wish to officially welcome her to the team."

And while part of me hopes that the turtle can sweet talk my girlfriend out of her angered state, do I keep my face away in shame, until suddenly I feel her hand worriedly touching mine and hear her voice asking: "Sly, are you okay?" And while part of me just wants to hide under my hate, do I turn to her nonetheless.  
To then see the worry and care shine in her eyes instead of seeing them burn with the fire of anger I was sure would be steamrolling through her form like a mad bull, can I not help but ask: "Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? Seeing – well – ehm?" At this Carmelita seems to get my worries and smiles as she says:  
"No Sly, I'm not mad." She then shocks me as she lies her head on my chest with one of her hands near it and says: "To be honest, I feel very, very touched that you took so many pictures of me, love. Your pictures are definitely the work of a master and I am very happy that you took so many as they made Bentley's show very worthwhile."

This makes me sigh in relief and I say: "That's good, but I am still deducting points, seeing how his show made me fear I would lose my girlfriend to her anger over me taking all those pictures behind her back." And with that do I send a really angry glare my friend's way, Bentley suddenly gulping as he says:  
"Didn't – eh – didn't think of it, well, like that. Sorry Sly, guess I didn't take such chances into account." I nod and say: "Eight out of ten. The picture show was definitely good and you even surprised me with a few of them as I didn't even know they existed, but seeing the actual risk you took, while unknowingly."  
The turtle nods and then I untangle myself from my girlfriend and kiss her on her forehead, my nose moving some of the locks of her hair away from her forehead before I move over to the stage and flip Bentley over the back of his head, hissing angrily: "Never again, capish?" Before taking the center of the stage for myself.

I turn to my girl and the way that Carmelita is now leaning forward on her crossed legs, with her arms leaning on them with the elbows and with her eyes gleaming in curious love make me want to turn beat red, but instead of that, do I say: "Carmelita, you chose to be a Master thief and – well, honey, that's for life – and so am I."  
The fox giggles at hearing this and I motion for Bentley having also given him my own CD when flipping him over the head and while Bentley switches the CD's, do I pluck an old and slightly dusty microphone from behind one of the curtains of the stage, dusting it off before scraping my throat as the song starts.

* * *

 _ **Never Gonna Give You Up** by **Rick Astley**. Just replace the words **"You're Too Shy"** for **You're Too Proud"**_

* * *

Here I stop singing, hoping with all that I am that I brought home the message and Bentley whistling makes me have a pretty good feeling as Murray shouts: "Sly wins!" Making me smile, even if I don't fully feel as if I should, but the sight of my beloved and her family nodding in agreement makes any argument die before I utter it.  
Carmelita then runs at me, tears actually gleaming in her eyes and she hugs me tightly, her arms feeling like delicacies as they enwrap my neck with loving strength, yet before I can lose myself in the divine feeling that is her lips on mine, does she part from me, her eyes still shining very brightly before she mutters:  
"And that is why I love you just so much. Because even when pulling heists you always make sure I feel wanted, respected and loved. You've never given me any reason to doubt what you say to me and yet at the same time have you never given me reason to feel bad about the messages you ever send my way as they were always very loving."  
This makes me smile very happily and I encase her face with my hands and whisper: "And that will never change, my angel. It will never change." Before I pull her face to mine again, wanting to feel those divine lips on my own and feeling like sharing a kiss with my beloved is nothing short of a perfect ending to my birthday.

* * *

 _ **And another chapter done!  
**_ _ **One that is like its predecessor way too long to be real, but also has some very romantic and interesting topics and parts written into it. Now I know that the last song I used was a little outdated and that it got cut out for safety reasons, but if you think about how Carmelita and Sly are currently feeling about their new bond, can you not argue with its validity.  
**_ _ **Next chapter will be about Carmelita waking in her own room and about how Sly does while making the canes he promised the Fox Family. It will also be about Barkley actually getting his due and trust me, it might sound similar to A Gang And A Family, yet I actually plan to make it alike and different at the same time.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	5. Barkley And Canes

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Sorry that the last four chapters all concerned the same day, it's just so that the first chapter made me feel the need to put it out in to the Point of Views of my 2 favorite characters and the other ones were made that way, because the party itself was taking way longer than I expected and would have overflowed with pages if not split.  
**_ _ **Okay, that's that explained,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

Yesterday feels like nothing short of a mixture of a nightmare and the best dream I could have ever had as I feel myself waking up in a bed that has softer linen than my own and of which the comforter feels warm and slightly furry to the touch, the thick fabric feeling like it's made of carpet the way it tickles my cheek.  
I yawn loudly and blink, tiredly taking in my surroundings. A large almost circular room of which the corners aren't exactly bend, yet not exactly pointed either, which is located in a small in-build tower part of the old hotel and of which part of the back wall is completely made out of a large floor to ceiling set of windows.  
The walls themselves are cream colored, the floor is made of an broken, off-white color and the way the dark wood of my four poster bed, my new dresser with drawers and my large, double-doors wardrobe match with the color makes them look spectacular, while my own nightstands are made of just a shade darker white.

There is actually a door in the left wall that leads to a very fancy looking bathroom with sink, bath and shower all build into it and Sly told me that, as a last method to lavish his birthday gift, he wanted me to have the room, even after I tried refusing to take it after seeing this. Because of his reasoning had I given in and Sly had smiled.  
The room itself is actually three doors further down the hallway from where Sly's room is located and on the left of the hallway, while his bedroom is on the right and while the separation feels almost like something physical, had it not been any less easy for me to fall asleep last night, all the commotion of the day having worn me out.

Yet, right now, I feel nothing of that fatigue and I can't help but think: "If this is the kind of bed Sly sleeps in, then it really is no surprise that he is constantly in such perfect health." Then the thought of living in the same house as my true love makes my toes curl and I rush into the bathroom, preparing myself as quickly as I can.  
Putting on the outfit I had worn the day before, do I realize I will need a quick trip home to pack up all of my things as returning there now that I am a Cooper Member just no longer feels like an option and while on one hand I feel as if I will miss the homey, old place, do I feel much more welcome and comfortable where I am now.

I then walk down once certain that I am well-dressed and ready for another day, feeling happily surprised to actually see that I am not the first one down. Sly's already here as well, some strange set of strings wrapped around his neck and the back of his waist and he seems intently focused on something at the stove.  
Feeling like a housewife that just woke up to her husband getting ready for work, do I happily approach Sly, the way his tail starts moving in soft swirls of joy making me smile even wider before I wrap my arms around Sly from the back and ask in his ear in a husky, loving voice: "What's you making there, handsome?"  
Sly instantly starts to smile even wider, a smile having already been on his face when I wrapped my arms around him and he says: "Just some raspberry pancakes, dearest love. They're my specialty and I felt it prudent to continue what the guys had done yesterday." This makes me tilt my head and Sly smiles at me as he says:  
"Both of them made their specialty to make you and your family feel welcome and I felt I should complete the picture." This makes me smile and while I happily take in the delicious scents that are currently wafting up from the single baking pan in front of me, can I not help but ask: "Any other specialties you have, Sly?"

The Raccoon shrugs and says: "Not really, I'm just good with pancakes and Bentley and Murray love raspberry the most." He then turns to me, his eyes smoldering with love and actually making me take a deep breath in shock as he asks: "That yours too, my dear? Or would my angel rather have a different flavor on her pancakes?"  
"I thought you would only lavish me on your birthday." I try to counter, not wanting him to work harder than necessary for me, but Sly shocks me as he suddenly turns around, wraps his arms around me and kisses me full on the lips, taking my breath from me before he whispers: "No, I want to lavish you for the rest of our lives."  
Making me feel like I am walking on pure clouds of heaven before I softly mutter: "Strawberry. I – I prefer strawberry over raspberry, but –." I want to object, only to be silenced by a second kiss and Sly's husky tone muttering: "Strawberry it is for the lady. Sit down, love. Breakfast will be done within ten minutes."

And with the same skills I usually see him use when out in the field, do I see him twist back to the pancake, flip it over and – at the same time – grab another pan from a cabinet to the right of the stove, putting the pan on the fire and putting a pancake mix into it after making sure the fire under it was the proper temperature and size.  
He then moves the mix around in the pan a little before shocking me silly as he turns to the other one, the one that is nearly done already and makes it fly in the air with a single powerful flick of his wrist, catching with what seems like barely to no effort whatsoever, making me speechless with shock as he then does it with the other as well.  
He then moves the finished pancake over to a covered set of plates and swiftly takes the top plate off of the bottom one, lying the finished pancake on top of a whole stack of pancakes that are already finished before putting the plate back on top and resetting his focus on the new mix in his second pan still on the fire.

He then keeps one hand on the steel handle of the pan and moves himself over to a cutting board, fetching some strawberries from a nearby fruit bowl and, while constantly switching his gaze between the board and his pan, does he hurriedly slice the strawberries he picked and washed before returning to the stove.  
By this time, do I notice how Bentley and Murray, who seem just well-rested enough to follow their noses into the kitchen, enter the room and Bentley hums as he says: "Mmmm, raspberry pancakes." And then Murray halts, sniffing deeply before he says: "Yeah, but – wait – the Murray is smelling a different scent as well."  
And while he amazingly enough keeps his focus on his pan instead of his friends, does Sly answer: "I'm making some strawberry pancakes too, big guy. Carmelita came in first and she told me she prefers them over raspberry." Yet the Hippo seems not to care for this as he just smiles and then moves over to set the table.

A few minutes later, when the table has been completely set, do my parents and siblings walk into the room and just when they greet us all a good morning, does Sly amaze me as he – without even any effort – flips the pancake high up into the air and catches it, his eyes following only the pancake, while his hand moves on instinct.  
"How did you do that? Most of the time when I do that, they either fall half off or get stuck to the ceiling or the hood." I ask in shock and Sly smiles as he says: "The handle of our pans is the same handle size as my cane. Because I can use my cane like my own arm, using the pan feels similar to using my cane."  
This shocks me senseless and I hear Cheren mutter: "Working with a cane can make you use kitchen tools with that much precision? Damn, and I thought I was excited for training yesterday." This makes Sly smile and while my family looks on in amazement, does Sly make several more pancakes, flipping them like he does.

Then he moves two sets of covered plates over to the set table and sits down next to me, kissing me on the cheek as he moves some of his strawberry pancakes over to my plate and whispers: "All for you, my loving rose." To which I reward him with a kiss on the lips before starting my meal, cutting a piece off and taking a bite.  
Instantly I feel like I have been during the last two meals, as if there is a piece of heaven melting on my tongue as the strawberry juice is somehow strengthened in flavor thanks to Sly's pancake mix and while squeezing my knife and fork in delight, do I happily munch on the piece of pancake in my mouth, attempting to salvage the taste.  
My family seems to share this sentiment and when I have finally finished my pancake, half of it having actually gone a little cold without me really caring, do I wait for Sly to finish washing the dishes before I rush at him and kiss him full on the lips, having kept some of the strawberry sauce on my tongue.

I lick Sly's lips in a silent request for him to French Kiss me and Sly happily agrees, his lips only slightly parted when his tongue dips itself into my mouth and I quickly wrap my own tongue around his, wanting to taste a mix of his own divine lips and the delicious strawberry meal I just consumed and moaning as I do.  
Like this we stay standing for the longest time, Sly's arms, lips, tongue and stance making me forget all about where I am or what I am supposed to be doing and when oxygen becomes a must, does Sly tease me yet again as he asks: "Will I be getting such a delicious dessert every time I make my morning specialty?"  
At this I smile happily, feeling like I am more than willing to make that agreement when suddenly Bentley asks: "Shall we get started, Sly? The Foxes need to move to Interpol to hand in their badges and pistols and I thought you wanted to get started on making their canes." And just that first order of business makes me shiver.

Sly instantly wraps his arms tightly around my waist and says: "We'll be right there, Bentley, just give us five, will you?" The turtle nods, his eyes obviously catching onto my fear for confronting that lowlife mongrel and he moves out of the kitchen, Sly pushing me so that I have my chin lying on his shoulder as he says:  
"Just remember, gorgeous, when this is all over, you have me to come home to. That man can do all he wants, you just remember where your real home is. With me, gorgeous, and whatever that bastard tries to do to you, I will pay him back twice if not triple as hard. Just remember that, gorgeous, just remember – that I love you."  
And this makes the shivering in my whole form recede, my whole body relaxing against the powerful, trusting form of my beloved raccoon and while a few tears of gratitude get stuck between my lashes, do I smile at Sly nonetheless, wanting to convey to him with my face and eyes how grateful I am for what he just told me.  
Sly smiles back and kisses me softly on the nose before he moves us so that he has one arm wrapped around my waist and leads me over to the living room, the rest of my family, Bentley, Murray and Guru already there. Sly seats me across his lap and says: "So, anyone against it if I measure you for canes before you leave?"

The Foxes shake their heads and Sly nods, giving me one last kiss before he stands up again and says: "Good, who wants to go first?" And Helena beats me with only a second of a mile in speed, her body up and standing before I can push myself in standing position and she says: "I'd like to, Sly. Do you need anything?"  
Sly nods and says: "First, take a stance in which you feel yourself most comfortable when beginning a fight." The vixen nods before doing as told, spreading her legs just enough to get a firmer stance and extending her left arm almost completely forward, while bending her right arm at the elbow, both hands half opened.  
Sly nods, his face pensive and thoughtful as he walks around my sister, apparently in deep focus as he takes all of the features of her stance into himself before he asks: "And when moving your arms in this stance?" To this Helena moves them with lightning speed, making them swish together and apart almost faster than I can see.

Yet Sly seems to actually see something in this as he nods and smiles before he asks: "Bentley, can I have a tapeline and can you write down everything I measure up for me, pall?" The turtle nods and takes out both a bloc note and pen as well as throwing Sly the requested tapeline and when Sly catches it, does he ask:  
"You okay if I get a little close?" To which my sister looks at me, but I know in my heart that Sly is only trying to help us and shrug, giving them both a warm smile to convey that there will be no hard feelings. Both give me thankful smiles back before Helena turns to Sly and playfully mutters: "Live yourself out."  
Sly rolls his eyes at this, obviously taking the banter like a real player and then moves over to my sister, taking all kinds of measurements such as the height from her elbow to the floor, her arm length, the length of her wrist to her elbow, the distance between her hands when in pose and the distance between her hands and face.  
This last one kind of confuses me, but Sly seems to take most interest in this one before he says: "Okay, I got everything. Are there any kinds of woods or gems that any of you are allergic to?" To this Cheren nods and says: "I really can't stand the touch of Kauri. It's really rare, yet I somehow got the allergy for it."

Sly nods and asks: "Want to be next?" Cheren nods and while Helena takes back her seat does he stand up and Sly asks: "Your ability was highly defensive, right?" Cheren nods, his face lighting up slightly at hearing the tone of interest in Sly's voice and my partner nods back and says: "Take your stance, pall."  
Cheren then shocks and intrigues me as he, for some reason takes a stance where his right arm is completely stretched to the front of his form while his left arm is bend so far back his hand is only inches away from his arm pit and his left knee is bend so that is almost lies into the crook of his right leg, both of them bend to a crouch.  
Sly, however, seems even more intrigued by my brother's stance than his actual ability and quickly takes the measuring tape, not even asking Cheren to move like he did Helena, but instead just taking a few more measurements, Bentley writing it all down and Sly constantly waiting until Bentley gives him the clear to continue.

Wondering how my brother could be comfortable in such a crouched down position, do I suddenly realize that Sly must have been in similar positions his entire life and I think: "Cheren might be the one who will find this whole Master Thief Training the easiest of us all, if he's that comfortable in a crouched-down position."  
This makes me smile in relief as my brother can be highly stubborn, sometimes even worse than I myself and when Sly is done, does Cheren sit down and do I quickly stand up, Sly's intrigued smile changing into that of an excited loving one and while I feel a smile growing on my own face in response to that, do I kid:  
"You know my stances by heart, don't you Ringtail?" But then Sly makes me laugh as he says: "I do, but I'm also gentlemen enough that I still need to take some measurements as I have no intention of just going by my memory and your dress sizes." Which both makes me laugh and feel flattered at the same time.

I then take my most familiar stance, my left foot only one step in front of my right and both my arms right in front of me, one of my hands curved as if holding onto my shock-pistol, while the other is holding onto my wrist. Sly nods, but then tilts his head and says: "Carmelita, let go off your wrist and lay your open hand over it, instead."  
I feel curious to his request, but comply, for some reason feeling even stronger, as if I am both holding an offensive weapon and being ready to defend myself at the same time. Sly seems to catch up on this and says: "Just move your hand until your arm feels comfortable lying on your wrist. I'll start taking measurements when you're done."  
I nod, but don't feel like moving my hand at all and Sly seems impressed with this as he instantly comes over and starts measuring a few things, one of them strangely being the diameter of my hand when closed around a weapon, while another makes a little more sense as Sly measures the distance between my wrists.

Bentley still writes down all of Sly's measurements and when he's done, does he kiss me on the cheek and say: "Brilliant. Your siblings are definitely in for some interesting canes, but yours is the one I feel most excited to make. And that's not just because you have my heart, my gorgeous." Making all of us laugh in the end.  
Dad then stands up and spreads his arms widely, yet not behind him as he crouches into a running position, but more to his size, shocking me and intriguing Sly as he says: "Interesting arm position. I take it you often hold a set of Shock-Pistols in both hands to make sure you can shoot no matter where you run, huh?"  
Dad nods and Sly nods back, the impressed look not leaving his face as he measures several things, strangely enough even the distance between my father's wrists as he keeps his arms spread like he does and the distance between my father's arms and the floor and when he's done, is my father the first to comment:

"You know, some of your measurements make sense, Sly, but why the distance between my arms and the floor?" To which Sly shrugs, yet speaks with great respect and pride as he says: "Almost every cane made by a Cooper is made of different materials, heights and other aspects. Barely any two canes have ever been alike."  
My father nods and says: "So all these measurements you make, even the ones that don't really make sense –." And Sly nods as he says: "Will make sure I make canes that are exactly up to what works for you, your form and your ability. Of course, they might have to be adapted at the end of the training, but we'll get there when we do."  
My dad nods and then mum stands up, her face looking a little forlorn as she says: "Sure wonder what kind of cane you plan to make for me, Sly. Remember, my best skill is to heal any wound I encounter, so –." Sly nods, but instead of asking my mum to take a stance, does he hold up a hand, telling her to stay in her current position.

He then walks around her, his eyes searching for something I can't imagine he will find as my mother looks highly vulnerable and weak with how she now has her hands clasped in front of her and her head slightly tilted down and when Sly's done walking, does he ask: "How quick can you go from that stance into a fighting one?"  
My mum looks confused and he says: "Like this." He then mimics her stance and suddenly, with swiftness even I didn't know he possessed, moves himself so that his hand is fisted and aimed for the ceiling, having obviously swung at what I can only imagine must be some made-up guard or enemy and shocking us all.  
Mum then tries to copy his move and while her punch is quite sloppy in aim and precision, does Sly still seem to notice something he likes as he nods appreciatively and he says: "Yeah, I think I know just the kind of canes I need to make for you. I will need to take measurements from both stances though, for this to work."  
Mum nods and when Sly's done taking measurements from both stances, does he walk over to Bentley, who happily gives him the papers with the measurements and says: "I made sure to write down each family member's measurement on a different note. Will make it easier for you to keep an eye on who's who."

But then Sly shocks him and while smiling, does he say: "Good, now – get in position.""Position? Sly, what are you talking about?" Bentley asks and Sly answers: "Get in a comfortable fighting position. I need to take the right measurements if I want to make a proper cane.""You're planning to make a cane – for me?"  
Bentley asks, sounding completely overwhelmed and Sly retorts: "Didn't I say that the Cooper law allows for canes to be made for _all_ members? Because I'm pretty sure I did before you had that epiphany about the wood samples we took with us some time ago." And Bentley seems overwhelmed with this answer.  
He then sends Sly a grateful smile and asks: "You really think you can make me a cane, Sly? You know I'm more of a long-distance and quick running kind of guy. I don't think there's any kind of wood that can make a cane proper enough for that kind of out in the field work." But Sly smirks at his friend and says:

"Actually, I already have an idea in mind. I just need to be absolutely sure it's the right sizes and all." The fact that he already has a vision in his head shocks the turtle and then he sighs before crouching in his own wheelchair with his left hand on one of his wheels and the other on one of the devices installed within the chair.  
Sly nods and takes the tapeline out again, handing me the bloc note and pen and I quickly write down Bentley's name on a new piece of paper, writing down everything Sly tells me as he seems to measure mostly Bentley's height, the height difference between him and the floor and the length of his arms before he stops.

Bentley seems shocked that he only needs a few things and then Sly turns and says: "Your turn, Murray." This makes Murray share a look with the Guru, who quickly motions him forward and the stance that Murray takes makes me perfectly understand why this guy is considered the muscle expert of the Cooper Gang.  
Murray's legs are bend just enough he can jump at any unsuspecting enemy without the guy even noticing, his hands are in front of his face and the fists are held only inches apart from each other, his left a few inches in front of his right, while the muscles in his arms prove that he is ready for any kind of fight that could possibly occur.  
Sly and Bentley smile in happiness at seeing this stance and Sly quickly takes the measurements required, Bentley again taking the bloc note from me and writing down everything his friend and leader describes, although I can't help but wonder why Sly is again interested in the distance between Murray's fists.

When the Raccoon finishes, does he turn to Guru and while the little Koala looks a little hesitant, does Sly smile warmly and say: "Don't worry, I'll make sure to make one that can easily incorporate your Moon Stone and I'm almost certain we have samples of that kind of wood back in the cove, so I can make something highly similar."  
This seems to appease the Koala Spirit Guide and he easily takes a stance, his walking stick raised slightly behind him and only two inches off the ground, while his left hand has spread fingers and is aimed for the north west in front of him, both his legs spread wide enough he can easily bend one way or another at any time.  
Sly takes a few more measures, this time including the size of the actual walking stick the Guru already has on hand and Bentley writes it all down before he asks: "What about you, Sly? Are you going to make your own cane?" But Sly shakes his head and says: "I performed a special ritual with my father when I got this.  
It was the last thing he was able to do before the Fiendish Five interrupted my birthday party and – well, you know." At this I can't help but feel downright horrible as no one – not even a criminal – should have to lose their parents on their birthday and Bentley and Murray nod, their faces speaking the language of the heart.

Sly then takes the bloc note from his friend and takes a good look at all the sizes Bentley and I wrote down before he nods, his eyes determined like they were when he took down Clockwerk and later Clock-La and then he confuses me as he puts the bloc note in the pocket of his shirt and shortly says: "Murray, cove."  
The Hippo nods and stomps on the floor in the same manner he did yesterday, only this time causing for a set of hidden doors to jump open right in front of the bookcase that is located behind my chair, making me switch around in my seat as the sound of them opening shocks me, while Bentley and Sly seem used to it.  
Sly then walks over and kisses me on the lips before he whispers: "I'm still here, remember?" And while this confuses me, do I then see him running and jumping in between the open doors, Murray actually stomping the floor a second time and making the doors close again, their material sinking into the floor flawlessly.

"Murray's the only one who can open that door. I placed sensors on it that are sensitive to his exact body weight and power, making it so that they only get a tremor of shock to activate and open or close when Murray stomps like that. Unlike our hidden door up top, which can be opened by anyone who knows of its existence."  
Bentley then says and I ask: "Do you know why he assured me he would still be here? What did that mean?" But Bentley seems as confused as me and I decide to figure that out, when Cheren sighs and says: "Let's just first get the nasty business out of the way and then ask our leader about his strange message and motives, shall we?"  
And while I had been trying my hardest to forget about what we actually have to do, do I still take a deep breath before nodding in agreement, my whole family coming to surround me from all sides and my mum softly letting a single hand go through my hair and down my back, calming some of my raging nerves.

A few minutes later are we in my dad's car, which we had picked up from Madam Svetlana with help of Murray, and have we arrived at Interpol Headquarters, me walking between Cheren and Helena and both of them having a comforting and powerful arm around my waist and clear determination showing on their faces.  
We enter the large four story building, that is made of concrete on the outer sides of the walls and of dark red bricks on the insides and while at appearing in the doorway, I can already see some of the more cocky grapevine-loving males starting to leer at me, do they quickly gaze away upon seeing who I am actually with.  
This alone hurts more than I expected as it proves that these men were actually in on Barkley's plan to make me feel alone and vulnerable and while I just don't understand why men that work to protect the law can think of a plan this low and demeaning, does the way that Cheren squeezes my side upon noticing this comfort me.

We head up to the third floor of the building, this floor holding the office where all members of Interpol store their weaponry and other equipment for different reasons and when we enter the office itself, do I come face to face with someone I would have rather avoided until later; Chief James Barkley himself.  
The man has his back turned to me and seems to be inspecting a list of equipment, yet it's the grin that is on his face that already makes me feel vulnerable and scared as it's obvious that he's either planning to ensnare another poor girl like he did me or that he has yet to realize that I am indeed quitting my job and is planning his next move.  
"That little wrench thinks she can just escape? I'll just send her to some missions where she has to be undercover and plant some subtle hints that whatever she's guarding is highly valuable. The right kind of cameras and I can make sure all of Interpol thinks her the Cooper Slut. That will teach that little wench where her place is."

Barkley's words cut through me like the knives of the legendary forty thieves, making me feel as if I am about to walk into some brothel against my will and while I try desperately to hang onto what Sly told me this morning, do I take a deep breath, remember the strength I saw gleaming in his eyes and hiss dangerously:  
"You will do no such thing, you lowlife mongrel." And just those three words make me feel as if a whole new world has opened; as if I am finally free of his constraining hold on me and as if I have really said goodbye to my life as an Interpol Inspector, which in turn gives me the actual strength to finally speak my mind.

Barkley turns around in shock and Helena hisses: "Tell him, Hermanita." And the pride that rings through her voice strengthens the amounts of courage and strength I feel within my heart, while at the same time I finally feel ready to release all of my righteous anger at the only one who really deserves it; the badger in front of me.  
I storm at him and say: "For years now, Barkley, for years have I kept up with everything you threw at me. All the disgusting pigs you call officers, all the shouts and insults you threw in my face, all the threats of losing my job and dishonoring my family name. And you know what? I never deserves ANY OF IT!"  
The badger seems shocked at hearing me shout like this, but I glare at him and snarl: "Who caught Railleigh the Frog, Panda King, Muggshot and Mss. Ruby? Who arrested Dimitri? Who made over 50 arrests on a single night? Who defeated Clock-La? Who stopped the illegal spice operations? Who brought Octavio to justice?"  
By now my family is looking at me in shocked pride and I growl as I say: "That was all me and yet the only thing I ever got for it was snarls, yells, threats and more of your lowlife behavior. You didn't even have anyone at Interpol question me when Neyla threw in that ridiculous claim that I was an associate of the Cooper Gang.  
Yet when I actually had Sly Cooper in custody, you completely ignored what faith had almost befallen Paris and made all the accusations against me disappear as if they were never there. You never apologized for believing some runt over the one person who helped you get where you are today and DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT!"

The Badger starts to cower, his lips quickly closing when I shout this at him and while feeling as I am breaking one chain that he has had on me after another, my heart feeling more free with every accusation I throw in his hairy face, do I not let him see for even a single minute how much I enjoy this new sense of freedom.  
I just keep my glare on and say: "I know all about your disgusting methods, Barkley, and I am not against using them against you. In fact, I have someone on my side who will be able to help me do exactly that and you've known that for years. Why else would you work so hard to keep me separate from my own family?"  
By now it almost looks as if all of Barkley's fur has turned white or grey, while the badger's fur is actually a mix of brown and beige and I smirk, feeling absolutely wonderful as I say: "You and I both know where my brother works – or should I say worked – and we both know what needs to be done when he resigns."

"And resigning I will." Cheren then says, stopping me in my rant and making us both look at him as he looks at Barkley with a mix of proud arrogance and he says: "Carmelita told us everything yesterday, Barkley and you and I both know you can't stop me from going to my bosses – as they are your superiors.  
My father doesn't work for you either and my sister might have some connection to you, but in the end, even she has her own boss to answer to. And before you even start, if Carmelita comes with me to resign, you will have no further say in the case as they are and remain your superior workers, you little conniving bastard."  
This alone makes me feel relieved as I had completely forgotten that the actual resignation had to be filed by the bosses of each department that my family worked for. Then Barkley growls and asks: "So that's it? You're all just going to give up and quit?" But this time my father is the one to speak, stepping forward with a glare as he says:

"No Barkley, we're not just going to give up and quit. We're going to resign and be what you tried to keep us from being. We're going to be a family.""And what about crime, huh? You foxes have always cared about that! You've always worked your absolute hardest to keep crime of the streets. What about that, huh?"  
Barkley then tries to shout, but at this I smirk and ask: "Since when do you have to be an officer of the law to take care of crime?" And while the badger turns whiter than the fur of his eyebrows, does he then turn red with rage and shout: "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A FILTHY –."  
But before he could so much as utter another word, does my mum rush over and actually squeeze a part of Barkley's neck, shocking him and making him fall out cold as she says: "Patients that go into seizure are best calmed by squeezing the right set of nerves. And I will not hear you call my daughter any more names, you lowlife."

This alone shocks me and mum shrugs as she says: "Guess my first lesson is paying off already." Making me remember what Sly taught her earlier on about moving from one position to another. I then smile at her and turn from the out cold badger to the little Chihuahua girl sitting behind the desk Barkley was standing at.  
Her round whitish blue eyes are wide with shock and I sigh, removing my badge from my necklace and taking my shock-pistol from the holster I had taken with me the other day and lie them both down as I say: "Just put them back in storage and empty out my locker. I have nothing left in there that I find of importance to me anymore."  
The Chihuahua nods, her eyes still wide and my family quickly does the same, my sister requesting to empty her locker out herself and coming back with a small notebook that has a purple cover and large rings on the sides. We then leave the office and while I wonder how long it will take for this to reach the grapevine, do I not feel like caring.

We then head for where dad and Helena work and while dad seems to have some trouble with getting his boss to understand, does the large Indian Lion indeed concede when told about what Barkley had been doing, keeping me away from working with this department, just so he could split the bond between father and daughter.  
The lion had actually offered to file a complaint, but I had requested him not to do so until it was fully official that I was gone from Interpol and the big cat had agreed to this. Helena's boss had been more willing to let her go and had even offered an apology for letting Barkley manipulate her like he had tried to.  
None of us had blamed the Martyr for what had happened behind his back and my sister had even hinted at the little promise given to us by the lion my dad used to work for. The martyr had taken to the hint and laughed at how subtle Helena tried to bring it, his eyes promising he would help his partner against this injustice.

We then head for my brother's superiors and while part of me fears and wonders if any of them hasn't already been manipulated by Barkley enough not to let either of us go, do the chains I feel have been released from my heart not allow me any chance to turn back on my decision as the emotional freedom I have now is one I want to keep.  
We enter the office in question, where a zebra, an antelope, a hare and a jackal are all seated, all of them behind differently styled desks and all of them in very fine looking suits that accentuate both their naturel coloring as well as the shades of their hair and eyes. The group looks up and the zebra asks: "Family fox? What brings you here?"  
Just the tone of his voice makes me know that nothing we have done for the last hour has reached the grapevine just yet and this gives me strength as I say: "Commander Enstips, my brother Cheren and I would like to officially resign from our functions as assistant to you and your co-workers and Inspector for Interpol."

Shock goes through all four and the jackal asks: "Resign? Whatever for? The Fox family has always worked for the sake of our profession, it's tradition." To this my father steps up and says: "It is indeed Fox family tradition to defend the law, yet my family and I have found reason to believe that Interpol is no longer the right place for this."  
The four look at my father and I step up again, my heart heavy with fear and anger and I say: "For years, Commanders, has my own boss, James Barkley, been setting me up as a toy for Interpol to play with, using the grapevine within this very building to make my life miserable and even manipulating others to do his bidding.  
A piece of evidence for this is the amount of times my department and my father's have been working together in comparison to the amount of times I got to work with my father. Another is that I myself overheard Barkley throw in small obscure hints in a meeting with you that made it so I didn't see my brother for a good fortnight."

By now the Antelope has her ears turned low on her own head, is the zebra bristling through his nose, has the hare been swishing with his ears in anger and does the jackal attempt to keep his claws from tearing at his own desk. Taking comfort at the signs of their anger to all of this, do I take a deep breath and say:  
"Another piece of evidence is that, over the last few years, my sister has been gaining more and more paperwork with almost every case I solve and only with the cases I solve. Other cases she remains to be getting the amount of paperwork that is protocol and this to can be directed back to the lowlife skunk that is James Barkley."  
But just when I finish, does said Barkley burst through the door, his face steaming with rage as he shouts: "DON'T LISTEN TO HER! SHE'S NOTHING BUT COOPER'S LITTLE WHORE!" Shocking everyone and angering my parents, yet I feel absolutely nothing as I look at the winded badger before me and say:

"Sly Cooper, in the entire career that I have had attempting to capture him, has only given me one kiss, one dance, one date and the chance to reunite with my family. It was a plan that I had thought out to thank him for helping me capture the Fiendish Five, the Claww Gang and Clock-La that allowed me to reconcile with those I loved.  
He may be what people call a criminal, but you, sir, are nothing but a wolf's in sheep's clothing and your behavior makes him look like the royal prince of England it's that low and underhanded." By now everyone is shocked at how calm and serene I speak and I smirk, having planned this since Barkley's first rant as I say:  
"And as revenge for all you have put me through, will I – from this day forward – work my absolute hardest to make it so that – if anyone in the future ever needs aid against criminals, they call for the Cooper Gang first." The badger gasps and the Jackal asks: "And you think you can get the Cooper Gang to accept this?"

I nod and say: "When has the Cooper gang – other than the stamp, chocolate bar and statue of the Venus De Whalo – ever committed anything that has harmed, endangered or otherwise threatened our citizens, my dear Commander?" And instantly an interested smirk of pride appears on the face of the Jackal Commander.  
"You're smirking? Why are you smirking? She just admitted to working with a criminal! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE UPSET ABOUT THAT?" Barkley shouts and the Antelope shocks me as she says: "Because we already suspected that there was some form of cooperation going on between Inspector Fox and the Cooper Gang."  
I look at the Antelope, wondering in fear if she would mean those accusations Neyla threw against me, but the friendly smile on the female's face calms my nerves as she says: "No offense, dear, but none of us here just ever really believed that you defeated Clockwerk all on your own and we know Cooper was with you when you shot down Clock-La."  
This makes me sigh in relief as I say: "He was my tail gunner in the fight against that wrench and he was the one to save me when Clockwerk had me locked in a gas chamber. He was also the one to actually deliver the finishing blow to Clockwerk's form and who used my jetpack to take the mechanical menace down."

The antelope nods and says: "Well, doesn't that prove it then? The Cooper Gang obviously cares for you and if they're willing to take a few gems or stolen paintings in return for making sure we have criminals ready to be shipped off to jail for their crimes – why, who are we to deny them their rightful payment, no?"  
This alone makes my heart sing with delight, while Barkley now looks ready to sag through his own two legs and weakly mutters: "You can't be serious." But the antelope glares at him and says: "I am very serious, Barkley and you can expect yourself in front of the Board of Inquiry soon enough for your actions, rest assured."  
The badger whitens again and dad says: "My former boss promised to file complaints with you against Barkley as soon as it was official that my son and daughter have been released of their functions and have their resignations made official." The antelope nods and the zebra, who finally seems to have calmed down, says:

"Then let's get down to business." This alone makes me smile widely and no more than ten minutes later do my family and I again walk out of Interpol, all of us wearing our regular outfits, but none of us wearing anymore signs that we are working for this building and this fact seems noticed by everyone as they all look at us shocked.  
Walking through the front doors of the building, do I take a deep breath, feeling for the second time this day as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and mum seems to realize this as she wraps an arm around my shoulders and asks: "Feeling better, dear?" I nod and then, with excitement in my voice, do I say:  
"Let's go home. I can't wait to tell Sly the good news of what Commander Speds offered to us." This makes all of my family smile and nod and when we come home, are Bentley, Murray and Guru all bend down over the coffee table, on which I can see the map to Kaine Island lying open, several marker signs showing all over.  
Bentley himself has a deep frown on his forehead and is tapping his lips with a red marker, while Murray has a bag of chips in his hand and Guru has a look of deep contemplation as he speaks in his native tongue and points out certain spots on the map, Bentley grunting and nodding in agreement with the koala.

Murray then notices us and asks: "How'd it go?" Making us all smile and I say: "I gave Barkley a piece of my mind when meeting him in the Storage and Locker Department and we got both dad and Helena's boss to agree on filing complaints against him when they found out what he had been doing to separate us.  
We also spoke with Cheren's bosses and they're going to put Barkley in front of the Board of Inquiry. Oh, and Commander Speds has a very special proposition for the Cooper Gang, one that makes mine look like the idea of a two year old." This catches the attention of Bentley and Guru, but then I notice something and ask:  
"Where's Sly?" Bentley shrugs and asks: "Where else? He's still in the cove working on the new canes, of course. We heard him work on the wood samples a few times, but he seems really intent on working in peace and quiet as it seems he moved himself deeper inside. Doubt we'll be seeing him anytime soon."

This makes me look at where the Cove is hidden, part of me wishing I could go in there, but Bentley seems to read my mind and says: "You can't go there, Carmelita. Not because you're not allowed in the cove, it's because when Sly went deeper in, we decided to check the manual for instructions on Cane creation.  
Apparently it's tradition that if a Cooper makes a new Cane or set of canes he does so in solitude and doesn't return to the Gang until the canes are done. We can make meals and drop them down there, but we're not allowed into the cove until Sly finishes those canes. That's been Cooper tradition for 500 years, just so you know."  
And while wishing that my beloved was here with me, do I nod nonetheless, finally understanding what he meant when he said that he would still be here. I then sit down with the rest of the gang and ask: "Interested in the proposal?" The three nod, my parents smiling as they see how happy I am myself and I say:

"Interpol is willing to accept that – in return for you continuing to make sure we have our criminals ready for arrest like you did with the Fiendish Five, Dimitri and Octavio – they will overlook the fact that said criminals may be missing some stolen treasure and will even consider it your new payment from them in return for your help."

The turtle, Hippo and Koala look at me shocked as I shrug and say: "Hey, your methods of getting those crooks will probably still be illegal and you fighting them will probably never really be very pretty, but at least you won't have to worry for the law as much as before as long as you help Interpol capture those breaking the law."  
"So – we will be working – for them?" Bentley asks, but I lounge back in the same chair as before and say: "Of course not. Didn't you listen? Your working methods and secret fights will continue to be offensive against the law. You're still criminals and there will probably still be other agents put on your case now that I resigned."  
This makes the turtle smile and he says: "Good to hear. For a minute I thought your little trip had caused the opposite effect." Making me laugh before suddenly the sound of wood hitting wood is heard and when we look around, do we see Sly sticking his head out, a smile on his face as he looks at me and says:

"I thought I heard some sweet melodious sound. How'd it go, gorgeous?" And while feeling a little amused at how strange it looks to see just his head sticking out of that gap, do I snicker and say: "You're looking at the four resigned members of the fox family, monsieur Cooper. As of today our jobs at Interpol are officially over."  
The raccoon smiles at hearing this and asks: "Good, so – no more Barkley?" And when I shake my head, does a look of relieved happiness show on his face and he says: "Good to hear. Got to go." And just like that does his head disappear and do I see a streak of his tail fluttering down at the lowest part of the door opening.  
Murray then closes the doors and Bentley says: "Guess he's allowed to check up on us every so often. Wonder how far he's come since you guys left, though." To this I shrug and say: "I'm sure he'll let us know when he's ready. We just – we just need to make sure he remains in good health while down there." And the others nod.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's it!  
**_ _ **Next chapter will be with a little summary on how the Gang fares while Sly does his little crafting and will then continue onto where the Fox Family first learns what's it like to work with a cane. Now I do want to admit that ForeverFreelancer had thought out and described an amazing idea for a Cane for Carmelita, do I have slightly different plans.  
**_ _ **What they are, you will find out soon,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	6. Finished Canes And The First Lesson

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **New chapter and this thing is just PUMPING! I know I shouldn't say things like that as it usually makes me get a writer's block for some reason, but I just can't help but absolutely LOVE how well this story is going, something I wasn't even certain of would happen when I first started writing this a little over a week ago.  
**_ _ **Anyway, I just want to let you all know that, after their training finishes and before they head for the Vault, the Fox family will discover what it's like for a thief to have enemies. However, I'm also planning to change concepts there a little as the whole 'Enemies are after Sly because he's of Cooper Blood' is a little over done.  
**_ _ **I mean, seriously! The Claww gang was after Sly's family because Clockwerk hated the Cooper line since Slytunkhamen, the Claww Gang were after the Clockwerk parts and the revival of the same Cooper Rival, Dr. M. hated Sly because of his bad relationship with Sly's father and Le Paradox because his father got framed by Sly's.  
**_ _ **It constantly comes down to how the Cooper line is responsible – whether directly or indirectly, knowingly or not – for Sly getting all these weird idiots on his tail and I decided to change things up. My enemy in A Letter to Change it All will have the same kind of grudge as Dr. M. but here things will be different.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

The last three days have been kind of dull and boring as my family and I mostly just reconcile after years of barely seeing each other and we sometimes help Bentley plan for the Heist on the Cooper Vault, yet not once in three days do we see Sly other than when either Murray or Bentley brings him a plate of food to eat.  
On the first day that Sly had been down there, had Murray opened the hatch to let in some dinner along with a blanket and pillow to sleep on and while Sly had thanked him, had I worried that sleeping in some kind of dark hole filled with only treasure and gold just couldn't be good for my beloved or his limbs.  
Murray had agreed to this and had actually lifted Sly's chair into the hole, telling us how Sly sometimes fell asleep on it after an exhausting heist and how the recliner function had been upgraded by Bentley to make the entire chair be bend down like a bed, making me feel a little more relieved for my sweet Raccoon.

Still, the fact that I haven't seen his face, his brown eyes or any other part of his features is starting to get at me as I had not expected to be separated from him like this while living in his own hideout and the only other exciting thing that happened over the last few days was how Murray helped all of us move our important possessions here.  
The van had actually been big enough for all of our boxes and luggage bags to fit into the back of the van without compromising any space for us to sit at and while this had amazed me, as we had actually emptied out most of the four houses where my brother, sister, parents and I lived at, yet it had also relieved me.  
Murray himself had also proven his strength by helping my family and me carry the heavier packages, such as the ones holding onto personal treasures – my mother had been very adamant on taking home her entire collection of amber brown antique statues as she called them family heirlooms – yet he had also been very gentle with each box.

By now, all of our rooms are almost living proof of how well our old lives at our old homes have mixed with our new lives here as we have treasures and pieces of decorations hanging all over our rooms that used to be hung, stood up or against walls of our previous homes, yet they match our room interiors brilliantly.  
This alone makes me wish all the more that Sly could come out of his cove as I want for him to see this evidence that we belong here more and more with each passing hour and while I sigh on the fourth day of waiting for our leader, does Murray carefully flick through some of the channels on the TV while seated beside me.

Bentley had decided to do some working on what he called the Hazard Room and mum and dad had decided to spend some quality time together, while Helena and Cheren had actually taken it upon themselves to see if they had any artistic talents as well with the Guru helping them over in the Podium Room.  
He then sets the TV on a nature documentary on wildlife in the South of Africa and while I feel as if this is some kind of instinctual thing for the African Hippo, do I not complain and just watch, feeling amazed at what I see of how Murray could live if he were to ever give into the animalistic needs of his own genetic instincts.  
However, just when the TV turns to a set of Hippo's that seem to be fighting each other over something, do I again hear wood hitting wood and look up, my eyes widening and my heart starting to beat rapidly in happiness as I again see that lovable face of my darling coon sticking out of the cove he has been in and asks:  
"Hey there, gorgeous. Murray, big guy, care to lend a hand?" The Hippo seems as happy to see his leader as I am and says: "Sure, Sly." Running over and helping his friend out of the cove before I see how the Raccoon holds a long rope in one hand and he turns back to the cove as he says: "Help me pull this up, will you?"

Murray nods and together do the both of them pull on the rope, causing for a deep dark red blanket that seems wrapped around several items to be lifted out of the cove, Sly setting the whole thing down on the floor before nodding at Murray, who stomps the floor and makes the cove door disappear for yet another time.  
He then turns to me and I smile, my heart beating in pure delight at finally seeing my beloved Raccoon back where he belongs, but then suddenly Sly stops smiling, turns his face down and sniffs his own armpit, letting out a yelp of shock and saying: "Wooh, working like that makes a guy sweat more than he would like.  
Call the rest and give me five, okay Murray. This Raccoon needs a shower." And while both of us laugh at how easygoing Sly sounds as he says this, does it take me and the Hippo only two minutes to gather my siblings, parents, Bentley and Guru back in the living room, Murray carrying the package over to the coffee table.

We then all sit to wait and I feel glad that Murray left the TV on as it poses a good distraction against the excitement that is clearly in the air, all of us wondering what our canes will be like and more than once do I either feel my own eyes switching between the TV screen and the sack on the table or see the others do the same.  
Then Sly comes back in, a new shirt on his body and a towel around his neck of which he uses one part to dry a bit of the fur on his head as he says: "Much better. Next time I decide to make a cane, I'm doing it somewhere near a body of water. This Raccoon here never wants to smell like that again, thank you very much."  
And while I have no doubt that the body of water won't be all that deep as I know just fine that Sly can't swim, do I smile nonetheless, especially at how easygoing and relaxed Sly sounds, as if he's totally unaware of how anxious we all are to see the results of his long days of work and Cheren seems to voice this as he asks:

"Can we see the canes now?" But then Sly shocks us and asks: "You mean you haven't even opened the package yet?" I shake my head and Sly shakes his with his eyes turned upwards as he says: "Guys, you're master thieves now. Peaking at things that catch your interest should be second nature. How else will you ever find hidden treasures?"  
This makes even Bentley and Murray turn red as they must realize that their leader is right and he smiles, before asking: "Murray, would it be too much to ask for my chair back?" But the Hippo is instantly on his feet, stomps the floor and dives into the cove, coming up minutes later with the large and heavy looking chair.  
Sly then helps his friend lift it out and Bentley helps along with the mechanical arms attached to his wheelchair and when the chair and Murray have left the Cove, does Murray close it again before moving the chair back to its earlier position, Sly happily pulling on my waist as he seats us both back in its comforting hold.

He then looks around, Murray having retaking his earlier seat and asks: "So, who wants to open our little package?" But when we all look at him pointedly, does he laugh hard and say: "Fine, fine, have it your way." Before he moves over and undoes the few knots tying the fabric together making it all fall over the entire table.  
We look at what Sly made and my eyes widen greatly as I see twelve canes lying on the table, four sets of similar looking canes and four other individual looking canes, while not even a single one of them – other than the sets – look the same and all of them are obviously made of different sets of wood and gems.  
Sly then first grabs a single one of them, one that actually has some kind of chain of metal rings wrapped around the dark black wood and has a hook that is completely made of the strongest metal I have ever seen, while a small iron black button is made at the bottom and he hands it over – to little surprise – to Bentley.

The turtle takes the cane in shock and Sly says: "Aim for the wall and press the button." Bentley, who still looks at the small cane, that is just a few inches longer than his upper arm, nods and does as said, a gasp eliciting through the room as the hook part of the cane actually shoots out of the cane itself and then hurriedly retreats.  
"Long distance, but effective. And I made a small hole in the end of the hook where you can install your sleep darts or bombs so that you can shoot them off to guards who are patrolling around or get in your way of reaching your destination. Wasn't easy, but I knew this would work best the minute I started taking measurements."  
Sly says with a happy look on his face and the longer he speaks the more the shock on Bentley's face gets replaced by glee and he says: "Sly – I – this – this cane is – AMAZING!" He shouts in the end and Sly laughs as he says: "Hey, never let it be said that I don't pay attention when you explain your technowizz stuff, little buddy."

He then grabs another Cane, this one made of almost beach white wood and that is looking as thick and heavy as an actual tree and everyone smiles in happiness as he lifts this over to Murray and says: "Kind of thought of doing something similar to Slaigh MacCooper. His picture in the Raccoonus really inspired me here, buddy."  
Murray himself has tears in his eyes as he handles the cane, switching in around and letting it twirl in the air between his big hands as if it's nothing more than a small twig before he says: "Sly, this – this is so awesome." Sly smiles at his friend and then says: "I'm sorry, but I need to break a certain promise here."

Everyone looks shocked as he says: "I couldn't find the kind of wood that Guru's walking stick is made off. Apparently Jean Bison never cut any of those kind of trees so I had to do some improvisation." Now Guru looks a little downhearted, but Sly keeps his happy smile on his face as he continues and says:  
"Luckily enough, have I been around Guru enough the last few weeks to know what it feels like when he's using his magic to control someone or to hide himself from sight and I used my instincts on that and found a kind of wood I think will sample and guide the magic of Guru's moonstone even better than his current one does."  
The koala looks shocked at hearing this and Sly moves over to grab a small cane that is almost as long as the Guru himself and made of a pinkish white kind of wood, the hook at the end shaped to hold the Moonstone just perfectly and gems that look as if they have been shaped into leaves connecting each other around the hook.  
The koala then takes the moonstone off his old cane and places it into his new one, the gems on the new cane actually making it so that the stone fits even better and the coloring of the gems and the moonstone matching to a sense of perfection that makes me wonder why Sly never became a jewel collector instead of a thief.

Yet while Sly shows his pride at seeing how well the stone fits into the new cane, does he then reach for the smallest set of canes I have ever seen, a pair that are made of apparently two different kinds of wood, the two woods merged together in a swirling motion till the part where the cane reaches the hook, which is made of a darker shade.  
He smiles at the canes and says: "These two cost me a lot of samples as I needed a lot of work making them just the right size. I'm sure we'll be needing to clear the cove out sometime soon, but I also know that I am very proud of how thick I made them as they're actually filled with parts of amber on the inside to give them a little power."  
Everyone looks shocked and then I see how the bottom part of the canes is actually hollowed out, the gleam of amber showing as Sly tilts the canes a little and then – to everyone's shock – hands them to my mother and says: "If this won't help you surprise your enemies and give them a good one-over, you can call me a reptile."  
Everyone laughs at the humor and my mum happily takes the canes, her hands fitting around the wood itself like no tomorrow and while she actually spins one of them with an ease that makes it look as if she's done this for years, does the amazement on her face as she does this prove that she is as shocked at her own ability as the rest of us.

Only Sly doesn't seem shocked as he instead just nods in pride and moves back to the heap of canes, grabbing two that are made of the same darkish wood as his own and that – for some reason – have an extra layer of wood covering their bottom parts, while the bottom itself doesn't look as if the canes can be set down properly.  
He takes both canes in one hand, the bottom parts facing each other and then turns his hands slightly in opposite directions before linking the canes together, moving his hands back and allowing us all to hear a soft click, making me realize that he just made one cane out of two before he unclicks them again with a mirroring motion.  
He then hands the canes to my dad as he says: "For both speedy operations, a good way to get up high with speed and agility and the ability to defend yourself. You can use these however you like, but I think when running, you should have them separated as I designed them to give you an easier chance to change direction while running."  
My dad looks shocked at hearing this and takes the canes, looking at them both and asking: "Can – can I try?" Sly shrugs at this and says: "Live yourself out. I think the hallway is a good training place. Head for the back part and then run over, before you try and run in here. I think having the canes in hand will help there the most."

My dad nods and Sly gets proven right as my dad flawlessly spins into the room during his run, only using one hand to twist the cane in his left a little and with that – as if the motion is like the muscles in his feet – making the turn with flawless effort, the amazement in his eyes making me feel delightfully proud for my dad.  
"It worked. That – that was one thing I always had so much trouble with. I – I always had to slow down on my speed if I were to be running on roads that had a lot of twists or turns and busy crowds always. This will help so much when running through the crowds, I – I don't believe this." My dad then ends his little rant of shock.

Sly smiles and then turns a little thoughtful as he says: "I designed this one with a sense as if what I was designing was for more purposes than I actually knew at the time, yet – I think it will really help a lot. Oh, and I also used another Ancestor of mine to inspire me in this here little creation." Everyone looks intrigued and Sly reaches out.  
He grabs a – to my shock – fully metal made cane that has a really large guard wrapped around the hilt and that has only a hilt and the center part of the cane itself made out of wood, while – were it not for the hook at the end – the cane could have easily been mistaken for a sword instead and Sly looks at it before handing it to Cheren.  
My brother looks shocked and asks: "Are you sure?" Sly nods and says: "Your stance really reminded me of Sir Galleth Cooper and he had a cane of his own that resembled a sword. I think the wide guard that I made will really help you, while the long reach of the cane will make it easier for you to use your ability through your weapon."  
At this Cheren takes the cane with excitement and jumps up, taking the stance again and when he does, do I see why Sly means as Cheren's cane actually reaches all way to the wrist of his extended arm, the crooked tip of the weapon and open hand proving that my brother can both fight back and defend himself very well.

Sly seems highly proud to see my brother using his creation like this and then grabs a pair of canes that are almost as long as my own upper arms, but to my shock does he hand them to Helena instead, the girl taking her new weapons and looking from one to the other as Sly says: "It's all about how you held yourself in that stance.  
These canes might be feather light, with how swift they should be able to make you move you can learn to rely on the muscles in your arms and you can switch them between hands if you feel like it, like when you have the tips around the wrists of two crooks and you decide to let them give each other some love, so to say."  
This makes everyone laugh and I have no doubt that Sly means pulling two people to smash their heads together, which I know is something Helena did a lot to those that bullied either me or Cheren when we were still little as back then she was always the one looking out for us, Cheren taking over this role when we turned teenagers.

I then look back at the last set of canes lying on the table, a set that had actually been kept down at the bottom of the pile and of which I had slowly started to see more and more as the other canes were handed out and the sight that befalls me when I see their full glory takes my breath away and makes my eyes widen tremendously.  
Two canes made of almost the exact same wood as Sly's own, but then with dark red gems encrusting the entire thing, the gems sticking out from the inside at various points in perfect patterns and actually making handles to affirm one's grip on the cane, while the hook part is made of solid gold with a single small ruby serving as the tip.  
All in all the canes look like they could cost a good fortune, have great power just lying where they are and almost draw me in, making me reach for them on nothing but my own instinct and when I take a grip of the first, do I feel as if I am actually holding my old shock-pistol, the wood feeling feather light and smooth as silk.

I take both canes in my hands, their length almost as long as my entire arm, yet when I hold them under my arms, does the tip end a few inches under my arm pits, making it so easy for me to carry them, I finally understand all of the measurements Sly had taken before he started working on all of our canes.  
I move the canes back from where they are holstered under my arms over to where I can take another proper look at them, the splendor of how they look and the ease with how I can hold onto them amazing me as even my pistol had never felt this good in my hand, yet only then do I notice how someone's looking at me.  
Looking up, do I feel slightly embarrassed to notice Sly looking at me, that goofy smirk on his face filled with clear pride as he leans against the side of the couch Murray is seated on with his arms crossed over his chest and with assurance and pride in his voice, does he say: "I knew it. The minute I started making them, I knew it."  
This makes me blush slightly, amazed at how confident Sly sounds as he speaks and he says: "I just knew that making canes that would prove you and I are a team would work the best for you. And those gems? They're pieces from the Fire Stone of India, the one I stole before getting that file you had on me and the Fiendish Five."

This shocks me even more and I open my hand, my eyes examining the actual gems while Sly turns to his friends and asks: "That's okay with you, right guys? The gems just felt right and I think they will make working with the canes that much easier for my sweet little vixen." Making me blush while the gang members nod in understanding.  
Sly then moves himself off of the couch and says: "Now that we all have our new weaponry, everyone ready for the first lesson of Master Thieving?" And instantly are Cheren, Helena and I on our feet, part of me still feeling amazed at how easily I can maneuver the canes around in my hands, yet the rest of me feeling nothing but excitement.

Sly smiles and leads us over to the hallway, pulling a part of the staircase up and revealing another one that actually leads down, shocking my family as he leads us into the basement and over to a room that has metal made walls and only a single door, but with a whole lot of handles on the left wall that all have a red light shining above them.  
Bentley then moves over to stand next to Sly and says: "I adapted the handles, Sly, and now they are in perfect harmony with the control room upstairs, while the room above this one now has even more storage room for all kinds of equipment you might feel we need to use during the training of our newest recruits."  
Sly nods with his hands in his sides and a proud smile on his face as he says: "Let's start of small, with a little presentation. Give me your best challenging course, Bentley and then prepare a single cable to run through the entire room when I'm done." Bentley nods and leaves the room for another one I suddenly notice above me.

Sly then turns to the rest of us, his back turned to how the ceiling opens and several crates, platforms, wires, wires with spires, a few rails, a long cable high above, and an electrical fence all come from the ceiling, setting themselves up for a crash course route unlike any I have ever seen before and making me feel a slight bit afraid.  
Sly then distracts me from this and says: "Okay, lesson #1. Your cane is like your arm. You have your abilities and your cane is nothing more than an extended part of yourself through which you make use of whatever ability you have within your heart. If you trust your cane like you trust in yourself, there is nothing you will have to fear. Now watch."  
And while his words amaze, inspire and comfort me from deep within my own heart, do I then want to scream as suddenly Sly jumps back, his back still turned to the dangerous course, only for his arm to reach for his own cane and for the tip to instantly hook itself onto the long cable hanging above everything else.

My eyes widen at how easily Sly made that move, as if he already knew that the wire was stretched over a large field of electricity and while feeling like I should be used to seeing him like this, do I still feel amazed at how easily Sly moves across part of the wire before suddenly unhooking the cane and leaping for one of the spires.  
Here he twists and flips in the air before landing on the spire with perfect precision, something I have seen him do many times before, but still amazes me due to how natural it seemed to come to him and Sly does this a few more times before jumping for one of the wires that don't have a spire, landing on it as smoothly as he did the spire.  
He runs over it, his feet barely even touching the wire itself before moving on and while his speed amazes me, does he then jump and hook his cane into one of the crates, setting his feet against the crate, pulling back and then releasing his grip as he launches up and lands on top of the crate effortlessly.  
Finally does Sly jump down to one of the platform that the wires and wires with spires are attached to before jumping down from this, his cane in his hand the entire time and he flips the things expertly, throwing it up and then giving it a backward kick before catching it with his other hand, all the while just looking at us and smiling.

"See what I mean?" He then asks and while I feel as if my mouth should have fallen to the floor by now, do I feel my heart beating in excitement and a bit of relief when Sly signs for Bentley who then makes it so that everything of the previous course moves back into the ceiling, bar the long cable that is still high above our heads.  
Sly then continues and says: "When it matters most, when you have to move to the top of your ability and speed, that is when you should feel you can rely on your cane as if it were a muscle in your arm or leg or even a part of your brain or heart. A Cooper cane is always made specifically for one person and through that can be used to perfection."  
At this we all nod and Sly motions for the cable and says: "Good, now get sliding." Making all of us smile. Mum is then the first to take action, running at the cable and jumping, yet her jump isn't high enough and she barely reaches out to the cable with one of her own canes, landing back on the floor and looking disappointed.

Sly however, doesn't seem to feel the same and says: "Bentley, lower that thing. You know my jumps are way higher than those of the others. That's my level, pall, not theirs." And just by the easy tone of his voice, do I see the shame disappearing off my mum's face, making me smile as Bentley makes the cable descend a few meters.  
My mum then tries again, yet when she hooks on, do I see her whole arm trembling and she slides only a meter or two before releasing the hook from the cable, this time sighing in frustration and asking: "Sly, what did I do wrong?" Making my beloved look at my mother while softly grabbing his chin with one hand.  
Sly hums and then randomly asks: "You play cards by any chance?" My mum looks shocked and Cheren even asks: "Say what?" But Sly focuses on mum and she nods as he says: "Try holding your canes as if your hands are the bottom side and your canes are the top sides of a diamond. Make sure to hook on with both canes, though."  
Mum nods and makes another jump, this time reaching the cable with both canes, her hands stretched to the sides and her canes meeting each other over the cable and to her amazement does the hold she now have make her slide steadily faster as the cable tilts down just enough for her to easily gain speed as she goes.

Mum unhooks near the end and smiles widely, while Sly nods his head in understanding pride and says: "Double canes are usually needed to be used as if they are one, especially when used as tools for sliding and climbing. I should have explained that before we started." But mum shakes her head and says: "That was so amazing."  
Sly smiles at her, the happiness I see shining in his eyes over the fact that we are learning to use our canes making my heart beat about twenty miles a minute and then Cheren says: "Let's see if I can do it like you did, Sly. Seeing I'm a one cane kind of guy." Sly laughs at this little joke, but then nods and focuses on my brother.

Cheren makes the jump, yet he doesn't even reach the full meter my mother did before he unhooks and lands on his hands and feet, worrying me as the unhooking was obviously not done intentionally and he curses softly and asks: "Any idea what I did wrong?" But Sly shakes his head and says: "Maybe reposition your grip."  
Cheren nods, but after three more attempts where he changes the position of how he holds his cane, does he still only make it a meter down the cable before falling on hands and knees and at the third time does he curse in Spanish and loudly before he asks: "What am I doing wrong here?" Breathing in anger and exhaustion.  
Yet while looking between my brother and his mentor does it seem as if Sly has had an epiphany as he mutters: "Oh so that's why I made that guard so wide." Cheren looks at his mentor and Sly asks: "How good are you in making a backflip?" And instantly do I feel as if he just solved the problem like he did with mum as Cheren says:

"The best in the family." Making Sly smile before he says: "Okay, this one will not be easy, which is strange as that was the whole purpose of this exercise." We all laugh and Sly says: "But it will also prove how much you trust your cane." Cheren nods, while we now all feel intrigued with Sly's plan and he says:  
"For you to do a perfect slide down a rail, Cheren, will you need to be able to throw up your cane and then run ahead and make a backflip. One that will make it so you can hook your legs around the wide guard of your cane as your crouching position proves how well you can link your legs together and the guard is exactly the right size for that."  
Instantly the whole explanation makes sense, yet Cheren still looks shocked and asks: "I need to throw, run and jump?" Sly nods and Cheren gulps nervously, looking from his mentor to his cane and then to the cable above his head before he gulps again, breaths out in trepidation and stands up from where he had fallen.

Doing as his mentor told him does he start to run, throwing the cane with a flexibility that astounds me before he crouches down and just when the cane's tip hooks onto the cable, does he make a backflip, his legs slightly sloppily twisting themselves around the guard and then finding balance as Cheren slides down effortlessly.  
A large smile grows on the face of my brother as he gains speed and while – nearing the end – do I feel scared that he will crash against the wall, does my brother amaze me as he somehow makes a twist in midair, guiding the cane to unleash itself from the cable and while he unhooks his legs does he finish the backflip and lands.  
Then, to all of our amusement, does the cane land on his head with a loud clunk and while some of us cringe and others snicker, does Sly shrug and say: "That was great – till the end, that is. Just make sure you always have your arms out and ready to catch your cane when you release it from your grasp, no matter what the reason."

Cheren nods and Helena moves forward, making me send a quick look my dad's way as I don't feel like being last a second time. My dad smiles and nods at me, indicating his understanding of my desire and then Helena asks: "My canes aren't exactly like my mum's. Care for a quick tip before I start, Cooper Leader?"  
And while I can only roll my eyes at the joking tone my sister uses, does Sly joke back: "Not until I've seen you in action with your canes, I can't." And while my sister pouts at being topped in her smartness, does she still accept the order and does she run for the cable, her jump high enough she easily reaches it.  
She hooks on, yet only reaches the first meter of the cable before she unhooks and asks: "Both canes, perhaps?" But Sly seems to have already seen the problem and shakes his head as he says: "I want to say yes – and no." His voice mysterious and contemplative at the end as he gazes at my sister with a strong intent glowing in his eyes.  
Helena looks shocked and confused at hearing this and asks: "Care to verify?" But Sly hums, the sound of his voice both making shivers of delight run down my spine and being a clear sign that he's not quite figured his own words out himself and Helena shrugs as she says: "You don't know what you haven't tried."

She then jumps for the cable again, hooking both canes onto the cable, yet this makes her whole form suddenly turn unstable and she lets out several sounds of alarm before unhooking her canes and stopping the slide, grunting as she lands and says: "Not quite it either, I guess." To which Sly replies: "Not quite – but close. Yes, close."  
Wondering what it is that my leader and partner is seeing that the rest of us are not, do we all look at him, the way he stands there with his tail up straight, his whole form proving how serious he is taking this and his left hand holding onto his right elbow while his right hand is around his chin defining him as a leader of greatness.  
Sly's forefinger rubs over the fur of his chin as he looks from my sister to the cable and back and then he asks: "When performing certain tasks, are you more the kind of girl to use one hand, both or who likes switching regardless of the activity?" This instantly makes me wonder what he could have figured out and Helena answers:  
"The last one, actually. I'm ambidextrous, you see?" Sly nods and smiles, his hands lowering themselves as he says: "Then there you have the answer. When sliding down the cable, you need to move as if you're changing from one activity to the next or as if you are performing it several times in different methods."

My sister looks shocked and dad whispers: "Canes really are powers all of their own, aren't they Ninita?" To which I happily nod, understanding with each of my family members why Canes have been part of the Cooper history for this long and while Sly's smile widens shortly as indication that he heard us, does he keep his focus.  
He motions for Helena and my sister nods, her chocolate brown eyes sharp with determination and shining in happiness as she understands the hint given to her by our teacher and this time, as she takes another jump and hooks on with one hand, does she instantly switch to the other the minute we start to see her swaying dangerously.  
The switch makes her regain balance and Sly smiles proudly as she slides down the entire cable before, when she lands, he turns back to Bentley and says: "I think we still need to practice a little with her. See where she will need to switch canes when sliding. Try another cable that has some more turns in it, will you Bentley?"  
And while my sister has her face light up in excited intrigue, does Bentley make the cable disappear and a new one, that kind of resembles a rollercoaster track appear in its place. Helena looks shocked at first, but then the excitement returns to her face and she happily makes her jump, the way she switches canes at a turn looking just marvelous.

Everyone smiles widely as Helena swirls down the cable, the way she moves from one cane to the other actually becoming to look more fluid with each and every turn she makes and when she takes the last turn before reaching Sly, does she actually unhook her cane during the turn, twisting in midair around her own axis before landing.  
Sly smiles widely at seeing this and says: "Someone who can rely on their own form as well as their cane is ready for some real life training." Making my sister glow in happiness before I step forward and jokingly say: "Let's see if all those years of chasing you have paid off." Making both my sister and partner smile lovingly at me.

Bentley then returns the original cable and I take a deep breath, holding one cane in each hand and twisting them a little in my palms to make sure I have a firm and steady grip on them, the feeling of the wood to my skin actually somehow increasing my self-confidence as I run and jump at the cable, hooking my cane to it as I jump.  
Twisting my fingers just a little to steady my grip, do I feel strange as something about the way I am holding myself while sliding feels off and I unhook my cane again, landing back on my feet and taking another close look at the cane in my hand, wondering if perhaps I had the wrong grip after all, before suddenly Helena asks:  
"Carmelita, what's wrong? You were doing great. You got further than any of us on the first try." To this I look back and see that I actually slid down the cable a good 4 meters before I say: "I – I don't know. I was sliding down and twisted my grip a little, but – but sliding like that – I – it just – I don't understand, but – it felt – off."  
And while part of me is screaming not to say this as it reminds me of what Sly told me about his thought process while making my canes, can I not help but soften up the truth a little and still speak it and to my relief does Sly not seem hurt at all as, instead of that, he just tilts his head like he did at Urmilla's a few days ago.

This again makes my heart melt at how adorably handsome he looks and Helena shrugs as she says: "Maybe you were using the wrong hand." I nod and take another jump, again sliding down a few meters without realizing this until I land as the same strange uncomfortable feeling overwhelms me while I slide.  
I then shake my head and say: "It's not which hand I use. Maybe – maybe I'm holding my canes wrong." Yet a couple of jumps later, am I forced to shake my head again as I had held my canes in several ways and methods, even using both mum's and Helena's, yet none of them made that strange feeling disappear.  
I sigh, suddenly wondering if Sly had really made the right decision when he made these canes and while I really don't want to doubt a man that has such talent with a weapon of this kind, do I feel almost obligated to ask him if he could change the design of my canes and do I walk over, my heart feeling like lead as I do.

Sly picks up on this and asks: "Are you okay, my gorgeous?" But I shake my head and say: "Sly, I – I'm sorry, but – but I – I think you chose the wrong design when you made my canes." The Raccoon looks shocked and I say: "Don't get me wrong, I love what you did for me, but – but sliding down like I did – it feels wrong."  
The Ringtail looks concerned and worried, his eyes proving how badly he wants to help me and he asks: "And what if you're not sliding? How do they feel then?" But I shake my head and mutter: "As if they're meant for me to have." Making a relieved smile appear on his face as he says: "Then it's not the wrong design, amore."  
He then takes my chin in his hand like he did with his own while studying my family and their progress as he says: "Remember, every cane is unique. There are barely ever two canes that are identical and every cane can be used different. You're not your sister or your brother, you are you and your cane has your style.  
This is just the first time that you're using it and we need to find your style." And while part of me wonders what that style could be, do I smile nonetheless and friendly ask him: "Thanks Sly, could you show me your style again, please?" Only for Sly's eyes to widen as I ask him and he mutters: "Wait – could that be it?"

I tilt my head at him and he says: "Follow my lead to the T." I nod and Sly starts running for the cable, me only two steps behind him and taking the jump at the same time he does. He hooks his own cane to the cable and lets his hand slide down all the way to the bottom part, me doing the same as I hook my cane only half a meter behind his.  
We start sliding and while watching my leader as he moves his entire form in such a way, his cane actually swirls from side to side over the long straight end cable, do I follow his lead, my hand moving my wrist which moves my arm which in turn moves the rest of my body and the cane in my hand itself as I do.  
And while I do this, do I feel like stiffening in shock as a feeling of righteous exhilaration goes through me, pumping through my blood and making my whole body tingle with pleasure and happiness, causing for a huge smile of pure enjoyment to stretch across my face and making me want to shout out in joy.  
Sly then lands on the other side of the cable and I happily follow his lead, keeping to his instructions and following his movement to the T, actually causing for me to land much softer than I normally would when jumping down from a height such as the cable we just slid from and Sly turns back to me, a large smile on his face as well.

"I knew I didn't make the wrong design." He then says and while I can barely believe that the Raccoon before me and I share the same technique in cane handling, do I ask: "But – but I thought you said –." Only for a gentle smile to replace the exhilarated one as Sly says: "I said that canes are unique, styles can be the same."  
This shocks me and Sly smiles as he says: "Carmelita, how else do you think that my ancestors developed so many techniques. Where do you think Tennessee got his Rope walking ability from, other than the Ninja Spiral Jump created by Riochi? And Galleth's Catapult Crash technique comes from observing Slaigh MacCooper's strength."  
At this I can't help but nod and Sly smiles as he says: "There are hundreds of abilities and techniques in my family ancestral manual that are identical to each other and that helped me develop the hardest of them all. That you and I share some techniques when it comes to the more basic handling of a cane isn't all that surprising, you know."

This makes me smile widely and then dad asks: "Care if I give a little plan of mine a shot for this technique, Sly?" The Ringtail nods, his eyes still on me and the gaze he sends me showing me he wants to make certain I feel confident in my abilities, something that warms my heart as I see the strength behind this desire aimed at me.  
I then turn to my dad and the man locks the two canes together, grabbing a firm hold of the left one before moving its hook upward to his face and running and jumping for the cable. He hooks on and instantly moves himself so that his foot is hooked into the hook of his other cane, causing for him to have a stable grip.  
All of our eyes widen and to our sheer delight, does dad slide down the entire cable effortlessly, landing beside us and unlocking his canes before smiling at my partner and saying: "These things are just downright amazing." To which Sly nods and says: "And so is your technique. Clever of you to think of using them together like that."

Dad smiles and then Sly says: "Okay, one more little test and then we'll call it a day for now. We can start anew tomorrow." Everyone nods and Sly leads us all back to where we were standing earlier before turning his face up to where the control room is located and shouting: "Hey Bentley, grapple exercise #2, please."  
And Bentley makes the cable disappear into the ceiling before he allows for a gigantic platform that covers the entire room from one side to the other, bar the small part where we are standing and that has a huge wall in the very center to land behind Sly, the wall itself only having a few small hooks installed into the metal.  
"A good thief needs barely anything in his surroundings to get up top as the roofs are a thief's best friend. Your canes might all be different, but all of them have a hook that is exactly the right size to fit into those hooks you see in the wall. There's also a sliding beam behind me, which you can use once you reach the top."  
We all nod and Helena smiles at Cheren before she shouts: "RACE YAH!" Running for the left platform before my older brother can only do little more than shout: "HEY!" Making all of us laugh as he runs for the other side, both of them instantly attaching their hooks into those in the wall and trying to get up higher.

Trying proving to be the keyword as, while Helena seems having trouble reaching one of the wall hooks with one of her canes after the other, does Cheren seem incapable all together to reach any higher than he currently is and Sly says: "Remember how I got up. Pull yourself back and then let your muscles move you upwards."  
The elder fox looks shocked and then nods, pulling back on his cane before launching himself up the wall, his cane instantly hooking itself onto one a few meters higher and while Helena now uses this technique while continuing to switch between canes, is Cheren still the one to reach the top first, making all of us smile in pride.  
Mum and dad then take for the wall next and while I love seeing them work together like that, do I move myself closer to my beloved Raccoon and ask: "Guess some techniques are best use for entire gangs, huh?" And Sly smiles at me, the pride and love that shows on his face taking my breath away as he says:  
"All canes are developed to create new techniques and to continue the growth of education that befalls a born Cooper. However, in some situations, it's just better to rely on techniques that have already existed. It's not wrong to try and develop new ones or improve old ones, as long as you remember when to use what."

And while my heart pumps like crazy at hearing how wise and strong my beloved sounds, while he is actually three years younger than me, do I feel my whole body tingling at how happy and proud he sounds as he says all this and then suddenly, do I feel his arm snaking itself around my waist before Sly turns to face me.  
All the pride and happiness disappear from his face as he does and both get replaced by such a powerful and deep-growing sense of love and commitment, I feel as if I am actually gazing into the eyes of my soul mate and while this feeling makes me lightheaded with bliss, does Sly huskily continue and say:  
"I knew it, Carmelita. I felt it the day I met you. I felt as if my family finally had a chance to continue what all thought had ended when my father was killed. I felt it then and I knew it when you destroyed Clock-La's hate chip. When you did that, did I know. Did I know that you were the one I was meant to continue my family line with."

And just by the strength of his voice and the sincerity I can see shining in his eyes, do I realize that the Raccoon is telling the honest truth, something that fills me with a warmth of happiness and love unlike any I have ever felt before and while the thought of having Sly's child makes me blush, does the Raccoon pull me close and whisper:  
"I love it, Carmelita. I love it when you prove me right about the incredible, gorgeous person that you are. When you prove to the world with your strength, your heart, your determination, your loyalty and your devotion who Carmelita Montoya Fox truly is. That is when I feel as if the love in my heart actually increases in strength."

At this I sigh and lie my head on his shoulder, loving the way Sly encases me with his arms and how I can almost feel the love radiating from every hair on his furred body and while mum and dad climb the wall and then slide down the pole together, do I not feel like moving a single inch, feeling too content with where I am.  
But then Mum lies a hand on my shoulder and says: "Your turn, cariño." And while part of me wants to grunt and tell her to leave me be, do I feel Sly letting me go, the pride and happiness that was on his face earlier having returned as he softly takes my chin in his hand and whispers: "Do me proud, ladro del mio cuore."  
But then I take another glance into his eyes and my own widen as I can almost hear a silent promise coming from that gaze, one that tells me I will be back in his arms before I know it, one that whispers at me how badly he wants to continue holding me and I quickly steel my reserves and rush for the large platform and climbing wall.

I take a double jump once reaching it, twisting mid jump while having one of my feet on the platform and launching myself straight for one of the wall hooks higher up the middle of the wall, my left hand reaching out and causing for my cane to clasp itself into the hook on the wall before I bend myself in the direction of another.  
Tensing all of my muscles as I pull as far away from the hook my cane is hooked onto and the direction in which I want to go, do I allow for my tense hold to release, causing for me to jump over to the next hook, which I grab onto with my right cane, repeating the process from before and reaching the top before even realizing it.  
This missed realization makes me almost lose balance at the end and I move out of instinct, crossing my canes in such a way the hooks attach themselves to the side of the wall opposite of which hand I am holding them into while my legs bend down and my upper body tenses in the need to keep a firm hold on my weapons.  
Shocked that the first thing I did was relying on my canes to keep me safe, do I feel a rush of excitement and pride boil through me and when I feel confident that I have my balance back, do I jump up, land on my own two feet and rush for the sliding pole that leads me back to my family and my beloved.

While running do I feel my hands twitching to use my canes once more and while feeling as if every action I take makes me grow closer and closer to the one I love, do I trust in the instincts I feel growing within me and reaching out to my hands, making me jump and twist in mid air just when I reach the sliding pole.  
I land with both my feet against the sliding pole and with one of my arms reached out to the pole, my cane hooked around it and while in this stance, do I slide down, amazed as this angle actually allows me to look around and view my surroundings much better than before while also making me feel agile enough to dodge anything.  
I land on the ground and the first thing I see is the largest, proudest grin I have ever seen on the face of my beloved Raccoon, the Ringtail's face actually looking as if his face is just too small for the wide smile that adorns it and the way his eyes shine like the purest of amber making me feel as if his pride warms me from the inside.

Then, before I know it, has the Ringtail rushed at me, his arms around my waist and his lips upon my own as he devours my entire form with his happiness and pride, his arms like a steel cage around me and his mouth ravishing my own, making me wish we weren't in such a public area as I can feel my need to be near him grow immensely.  
"La mia splendida volpe. C'è qualche possibilità che si potrebbe essere più perfetta? Le vostre reazioni così naturale! Il vostro movimento in modo istintuale. Tutto di ciò che sei è solo così assolutamente, incredibilmente stupendo." Sly then mutters, the pride he has in his heart actually making his revert back to his native tongue.  
And yet I understand his every word and the way he speaks of my talents and instincts makes me feel warm and tingly all over my form, making me feel as if his words warm me up from the inside, make me want to purr out loud and prove to him just how much I love hearing him say such incredible things about me.

I then hear Bentley's nasal voice sound through the room as he says: "I think we can cut it here for today, Sly. The team was great and I think if I work just a little more I can make some exercises that can be accommodated to Murray, the Guru and myself." Which shocks me with the realization that they didn't even try anything today.  
Sly nods, still not letting go of me and he says: "Fine with me, Bentley. You do what you do best and then –." And before I know it am I again in Sly's arms, his amber brown eyes smoldering with a searing love that almost feels as if it burns me from the inside as he says: "I will do what I do best; loving my gorgeous girlfriend."  
And like he said at dinner last night, does it feel downright incredible to hear him call me his girlfriend, almost making me feel as I am back in college and making me feel like some silly little schoolgirl that just wants to giggle over the thoughts of her first crush, something I don't attempt to as it would just look silly.

Instead of that do I allow for Sly to carry me out of the room, Bentley, Murray and Guru remaining inside and the rest of my family following behind their leader, who happily turns his face their way as he says: "That was a really good first training, guys. Keep this up and we might be heading for the Vault in less than a month or two."  
Which in turn makes my siblings share an amazingly excited look before I notice something that I find both a little odd and highly intriguing; as we walk away from the Hazard Room where we just trained, does my sister Helena attempt to sneak a quick, unsuspicious peek over her shoulder, at where the room closes on Murray's back.  
Looking at my sister while trying to make it look as if I am just enjoying the presence of my beloved Ringtail so close to me, something that actually makes it a little hard for me to focus on anything else, do I feel a small, sneaky smile grow on my face as I recognize the look in my sister's eyes; the look of budding romance.

* * *

 _ **What the heck?  
**_ _ **Twelve pages! TWELVE! This story just doesn't know how to have short chapters! I usually try to keep my chapters to five to seven pages and this thing could consider itself lucky if it got around ten! I don't know how, but this story could be one of my longest yet – not topping Preventing Trouble, of course.  
**_ _ **Anyway, wow, Helena is starting to fall for Murray just like her sister is falling for Sly. I always loved a pairing like that and I recently began experimenting with it – at least ever since I decided on the idea of giving Carmelita some siblings, which was around the time of The Cooper Gang and Story Plans.  
**_ _ **Now the romance between Helena and Murray will be a slow one, not as slow as Sly and Carmelita in Cannon where it took three games and some fake-amnesia to get those two together, but they won't be starting to date within say a fortnight either. For now both will just focus on their training and through that grow closer.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Translations:  
**_ _ **Cariño is Spanish for Sweetie  
**_ _ **ladro del mio cuore is Italian for Thief of my Heart  
**_ _ **la mia splendida volpe. c'è qualche possibilità che si potrebbe essere più perfetta? Le vostre reazioni così naturale! Il vostro movimento in modo istintuale. Tutto di ciò che sei è solo così assolutamente, incredibilmente stupendo.**_ _ **Is Italian for My beautiful fox. Is there any chance that you could be more perfect? Your reactions so natural! Your movement so instinctual. All of who you are is just so absolutely, unbelievably amazing.**_


	7. Ancestry Lessons, Ancestral Strengths

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Another chapter and most of it will, again, be based on the training Sly is planning to give his new team. I will do a quick recap on what Bentley installed into the Hazard Room for him, Murray and Guru, but the main focus still lies with the Foxes. Also, they will experience a few more hurdles in their training this chapter.  
**_ _ **That is all, enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

The time we spend after Sly ended our training was amazing. Sly actually offered a massage to all of my family members and both Cheren and Helena commented on how amazing he was with his hands, something I know just by all the times Sly held me during the times he wasn't busy on something, the strength in his muscle very alluring.  
Bentley, Murray and Guru had actually stayed in the Hazard Room for one hour before they had left the basement, Bentley had given Sly a thumbs up and the three of them had hit the shower, all of them coming back refreshed before Murray had started dinner, making me feel a little shocked over the fact we had spend all day down there.  
That evening Sly had actually visited my room, knocking on my door and asking if he could come in before opening and telling me the only reason he came was to praise me again on how incredible my performance had been, especially at the end when it mattered most and kissing me goodnight with loving passion.  
I had dreamed of similar kisses and other possible training exercises, my heart feeling giddy at the thought of impressing Sly even more and getting such similar treatment every time I did so, making me have a full night filled with loving and happy dreams and making me wake with a large smile stretched over my face.

By now Sly has made some simple breakfast of toast, buttered bread, sliced cheese and meats and several cans of fresh fruit drinks such as apple and orange juice, have we all had our fill and has Bentley helped Sly with the dishes before he had moved us all not to the Hazard Room, but back into the living room.  
There he had stood in the door to the hallway and says: "Your training to get accustomed with your canes yesterday went absolutely brilliant, but it's not just your cane that you will have to work on. There are certain differences in behavior and movement that divines a cop from a robber and the most important of all – is stealth."

This makes me nod in understanding as Sly had always been able to sneak into enemy territory and not reveal himself until exactly the right time, having been able to even deal with Octavio in a fistfight without any of my officers noticing a few months ago and then Sly turns his back on us with his arms behind him and says:  
"If you can manage to reach across the room and tag me on the hands, your stealth will be to the point of perfection. Try it one at a time, but understand that I will instantly call you out if I hear you. The door to the kitchen is closed so I won't have anything that can help me see you. You will have that advantage, but don't underestimate me."  
This alone makes me feel highly excited and Bentley says: "I'm out. No way can I adapt my wheelchair to such a level that the gears don't grind soft enough for him not to hear me." And while I feel pretty bad for the chair-ridden turtle, does Cheren stand up and cross the room, taking the position that he had when Sly measured him.

He then starts to slowly and stealthily walk over, but only after four steps, does Sly shout: "DONE!" Shocking me as I had barely even heard the carpet move under Cheren's foot and Sly says: "If we were to draw a line between my back and the wall, you would be five centimeters to the right of that very line right now."  
This makes all of us look from Cheren to Sly and the boy groans before he switches places with Helena, who actually manages to reach my chair before Sly shouts: "DONE!" Shocking my sister enough she almost trips on her step before Sly says: "Four steps to the south east of my favorite chair, am I right?"  
My sister pouts and while I am shocked as I only heard her foot move over the floor after Sly had shouted, does my mum actually manage to get halfway past the couch before Sly shouts again and says: "Furthest yet, about three steps into the couch and half a meter from the envisioned line. Very nice, dear pupil."

My mum smiles at him and dad takes her place, yet while he takes about two steps, does Sly instantly shout: "RETRY!" Shocking us before he says: "You're putting way too much weight onto the floor. Anyone who's blind and capable of seeing through their feet would know your presence and location just by that first step."  
Dad looks shocked and Cheren asks: "Is that how you've been able to sense us out all this time?" But Sly shakes his head and says: "I followed a good 40 lessons in stealth and sense improvement when I was still in my teens, 22 of which were to improve my hearing and most of them were done in nature filled environment.  
That's why I chose the living room for this training; the carpet on the floor resembles a grassy field and that is the hardest environment for a thief to get through as just the softest tweak of a branch or the rustling of grass in a manner that isn't caused by the wind can alert either an officer or criminal of your location, dooming you."  
Everyone nods, me wondering why Sly didn't let us train on easier surfaces before, but the Raccoon just turns back to staring at the kitchen door and dad moves back to where he stood before, taking a deep breath and trying a second time, only to get about four steps in before Sly shouts: "DONE!" Making my dad groan.

I then take his place and look at Sly, part of me envisioning how he would handle a challenge like this and then, before taking my first step, studying the closest part of my own environment, attempting to move my foot in such a way I don't actually move the soft rug of the carpet wrong and watching him when I land my step.  
Sly is still with his back to me and while keeping myself to my steady, careful pace, do I take another step, my mind fully focused on the task I set for myself and when I feel confident that I got this new technique down pat, do I decide to move just that little bit faster, not trusting myself to go full speed yet, but attempting to go quicker.  
A few more steps in, I feel my focus on where to set my feet and how to place them within the texture of the rug becoming a little more of a comfortable motion and I speed up just a little more, amazed that I have already reached my earlier seated chair and just when I feel ready to pace softly, does Sly shout: "DONE!"  
Shocking me and making me look down at my foot, realizing that I must have placed it wrong for the Raccoon to have heard me. I then look back up and while his back is turned my way, can I almost read the excitement and pride that is coming from his form as he says: "Two steps on my side of the couch, am I right Carmelita?"

This shocks the living daylights out of me and Cheren asks: "How did you know it was her? You didn't even know it was mum when she reached halfway past the couch." And Sly again turns his head my way, his brown eyes alight with happy love as he says: "It's the way she walks. I didn't know she was that close, but I recognized her walk."  
"Wait, you didn't hear me?" I ask in shock and Sly shakes his head as he says: "Not at first, no. I did hear something, but I couldn't exactly feel sure that it was someone walking. It wasn't until you grew confident in your technique that I recognized your step and realized how close you actually were. That's why I shouted."  
This absolutely amazes me and while the others look shocked, does Sly send me the same look he did yesterday when I had slid down that slide pole attached to the climbing wall as he says: "You learn so fast, il mio piccolo ladro di cuori. You figured out the true technique of stealth all by yourself and perfected it and made it yours.  
I never thought I would say this – especially because I sincerely loved all of our hunts and chases, Ispettore della mia Anima – but you were never meant to be a cop. You were born to be a Master Thief like me. The way you so fluidly take to the techniques and abilities required for my profession just prove that."

And while the reminder of those chases makes a pang of guilt run through my heart, does the pang get blocked from truly hurting by how much I love hearing that he still enjoyed our time together, despite of what I actually did all those years and to then hear him compliment me on my potential makes my heart soar with love.  
The Guru then takes my place at the start of the room and he actually seems to replicate what I did, reaching all the way to the center of the couch before Sly shouts: "DONE!" Turning his entire form and saying: "Not bad, I definitely had trouble defining who you were, but you did lose sight of where to set your feet at those last 2 steps."  
Guru nods and then Sly turns to Bentley and says: "You and Murray train together on this. You might not be able to ever catch me off guard, but you're definitely professional enough you can practice on each other." The two smile and then Sly asks: "Anyone care to try again?" All of us nodding in happy excitement as he turns again.

This all lasts for another two hours, barely any of us getting any further than the chair opposite where Sly and I usually sit and while I myself manage to take at least one step past it a few times, does Sly still manage to identify me by my footsteps by the time I get here, sending a loving proud smile my way whenever he does.  
He also smiles in pride the few times that both my dad and Cheren manage to get further than before and while I manage to get past the chair, do Helena and mum manage to reach the chair and does dad manage to reach my and Sly's seat while Cheren actually makes it to the center of the couch before Sly calls it all a quit.  
I look around and I can tell that both my sister and brother are a little stumped that they just can't reach the Master Thief, yet Sly seems to notice this as well and asks: "Will you two stop with your high expectations?" The two look shocked and he says: "You're training under the descendent of a 3000 year old line of Master Thieves.  
I've had the last 5 years to learn everything my ancestors ever invented and the last 15 to learn everything that any Master Thief could find useful when at work. You're only just getting started and you're both only a few days away from when you were still police officers. There's a reason those two jobs are different, you know?"

At this the two sigh and Cheren says: "I guess you're right. We're just – it's – well." And while I realize that it's not my brother's pride or stubbornness that is currently rearing up, do I smile at the actual reason the two can't stand failing these lessons and walk over to Sly, the Raccoon happily hugging me before I say:  
"It's just too easy for all of us to get overly excited when we hear how passionate and with how much pride you explain all these lessons you teach us. You rile us up, Ringtail and make us want to perform to your levels." Making Sly send a shocked look at a smiling Cheren and Helena, before suddenly Bentley laughs and says:  
"Perform at Sly's level? Sorry, but the only one who could ever manage to do that would have to be one of Sly's ancestors. There's no way anyone else could ever live up to how high this guy is standing when it comes to abilities and techniques. I know that and I've been working with Sly for as long as I can remember."  
But while Cheren and Helena seem a little bumped at hearing this, do I again feel Sly's gaze staring at me, making me turn my head his way and feeling shocked as I can actually see a confidence shining in his amber brown eyes that almost wordlessly says that he disagrees with his friend, that he believes me capable of doing so.  
Feeling my heart flutter like hummingbird wings at the very thought that Sly thinks me capable of performing to his level, do I send him a grateful smile, not even caring for anything but those deep amber brown gems shining in that wild mass of grey colored fur and covered ever so slightly by that black silk mask.

Then Helena breaks the moment between us as she asks: "Hey Sly, why – well – why don't you tell us some more about your family? You know, your ancestors and what they were like as Thieves?" Sly seems as interested in this as my sister and he happily moves us back to our usual chair, seating me across his lap as he says:  
"Good idea. Why don't you guys name an era of time and I'll see if I can remember an ancestor and what their specialties were and whatnot." Everyone nods and then Cheren makes me laugh as he says: "Medieval time." One of his hands on the cane that is leaning against the side of the couch as a clear indication to why he asks.

Sly smiles and says: "Sir Galleth Cooper. Founder of the Cooper Order, actual knight and recognized as such by the English Crown, having travelled all the way from Edinburgh to Birmingham. He mostly became famous for the Founding of the Cooper Order, the Cooper Cane law and the invention of the Catapult Crash Technique."  
Cheren smiles in amazed intrigue as he listens to this and then Helena says: "Ancient Egypt." Making Sly smile cheekily before he asks: "Which of the two? Slytunkhamen the First or his son the Second?" And while shocked that there are two famous Coopers in that era of time, does Helena smirk in challenge and say: "Both."  
Sly smiles back and then leans against the back of the chair, his hand lazily activating the recliner function of the chair as he says: "Slytunkhamen the First. Creator of my family's ancient manual and, as far as I know, the first Cooper to have ever lived. He created the Shadow Power Technique and stole from corrupt Pharaohs.  
Slytunkhamen the Second was his son and was born around 1200 BC and – as I recently discovered – was the Founder of the Cooper Vault. He did resemble his father's looks and even took over the Royal Headpiece that Slytunkhamen the First stole from a Pharaoh, yet the Second made his fortune in the employ of Pharaohs, not against them."

The idea that these two made a fortune while working with opposite methods amazes and intrigues me and Bentley shakes his head as he says: "Sly and his family knowledge. Since he got the manual back there really isn't anything he doesn't know about them." To which Sly makes all of us laugh hard as he kids back:  
"Hey, it's like I said. That book's a real page turner." Before mum suddenly asks: "What about Feudal Japan?" And just by the elated smile that appears on my dearest lover's face do I know that my mum hit the jackpot as the pleasure rings through his voice and he says: "That was the time of my absolute favorite ancestor; Riochi Cooper."  
Instantly everyone bar Bentley and Murray lean closer and I cuddle deeper into Sly's embrace, the arm he's holding me with trembling with happiness as he says: "Riochi Cooper, Master Ninja and Master Sushi chef. Inventor of both the Ninja Spiral Jump, which is my absolute favorite technique, as well as the first creator of Sushi."  
This shocks us all and Sly smiles widely as he says: "Yeah, Riochi even opened his own Sushi restaurant and became world-famous with it, even serving Sushi to people like the Shogun, yet at the same time using that same fame as a cover-up for his heists, which was further perfected thanks to his own ninja abilities."

By now I can more than understand why Sly loves Riochi above all other of his ancestors and I giggle as I say: "And you probably wouldn't mind becoming world famous for your singing if it means you can get the same cover-up as your ancestor, would you?" But by the way Sly's eyes widen, do I realize that I am wrong.  
"I didn't even think of it like that. Carmelita, you're a right genius." The Raccoon exclaims, kissing me with a passionate love that right away steals my very breath and makes me squeak in shocked bliss before Sly's love reaches me through his lips and I happily wrap my arms around my favorite thief, hugging him as we kiss.  
The kiss lasts only as long as we can both last without oxygen and while regaining my breath, do I happily lie my head on Sly's chest, the way one of his hands now moves over my back and sides feeling like a touch of heaven as we both regain ourselves and at the same time bask in the closeness of each other's presence.

"What about the seventeenth century – American history?" Sly hums as he thinks this through and says: "Henriette _One-Eye_ Cooper. Female Thief who sailed the Caribbean seas with a dagger that had a Cooper hook for a handle and who stole from other pirates. According to rumors she even lost a hand and replaced it with a hook."  
This shocks me and I ask: "Wait, like Captain James Hook, that famous pirate from the Peter Pan movies?" Making Sly laugh as he says: "That Captain Hook is actually a character created out of the legends surrounding my ancestor. And he's not even the only one either." We all look shocked and Sly counts down on his fingers:  
"Aladdin and the Forty Thieves originates from my ancestor Salim El-Kupar, who was said to have the stealth of Forty Thieves himself. Captain Hook originates from Henriette, although she was mostly mistaken for a male as other pirates just didn't want to admit during that era that a woman had bested and robbed them.  
And finally Galleth Cooper is the living representation of Robin Hood, who stole from the rich, had a merry band of thieves by his side and in the end won the heart of his beloved Maid Marian. The whole tale is pretty made up, bar the stealing and the name of the lady my ancestor fell for and continued the Cooper Line with."

This shocks the living daylights out of me as I had always loved the Robin Hood fairytales as a little girl and then Helena laughs as she says: "I got to admit it, Sly, with how you have constantly been stealing from thieves and leaving them ready to be arrested, do you almost represent a modern day Robin Hood yourself."  
And while his friends laugh at the sound of this, their faces proving they have actually been saying this quite a few times themselves in the past, can I not help but tilt my head a little as I try to imagine what Sly would look like if he were to ever wear an outfit similar to that of my childhood favorite imaginary character.  
However, it seems that Sly is picking up on my train of thought as he smiles down at me and asks: "Should I perhaps ask Urmilla to make us a set of outfits, my gorgeous? Because I think you would make an amazing maid Marian, yes indeed." And the thought of me wearing that vixen's incredible dress makes me turn a deep red.

Then, while Sly sends me a quick loving glance to prove how much he adores seeing me turn red like that, does he then ask: "Anymore ancestors you're interested in, people?" But then dad says: "Actually, Sly, there is something else I find my interest growing in. That family manual you mentioned a few times now."  
But this seems to be the wrong thing to say as Sly sternly says: "I'm sorry, but until you guys have further progressed in your training can I not allow for you to see it. That thing was taken from me on the same day as my parents and it took me ten years to get it back. It's also filled with techniques far above your levels, so –."  
My dad nods, his face showing how he understands why my beloved is so protective of it, the way his arm tenses and pulls me closer proving it to me more than to the others and then Sly focuses back on me, his eyes worried and slightly glazed, making me decide to take his mind off of the suddenly uncomfortable change of topic.

I lie my hand on Sly's cheek, catching his attention as I softly let my fingers ruffle through the fur there, the touch itself feeling incredibly pleasant and when Sly looks down on me, do I happily move face up, covering his lips with my own and loving the feel of having Sly this close and intimate with me yet again.  
Feeling that I am growing addicted to kissing the man I am sitting with, do I know that part of me just wants to catch up on all the numerous occasions I could have done this had it not been for our professional differences and my fear to dishonor my family, yet the idea to catch up on lost kisses is one that makes my toes curl.  
The same can definitely be said for kissing the raccoon in my arms as the way that Sly encases me in his embrace and how he lies one hand just under my hairline in the back of my neck and the other on the small part of my back while his lips tenderly brush against mine in adoring love makes me feel divine from head to toe.  
My whole body tingles in pleasure, especially at the parts where Sly and I meet and where his fur touches mine and my fur bristles and ruffles up against the ministrations of my beloved and the feelings that course through me as I can actually feel Sly expressing his devoted love for me through our kiss.  
The feeling itself makes me want to sigh were it not for the fact that my lips are currently sealed and at the same time adored by the only pair of lips I want to kiss and keep kissing for the rest of my life and while part of me curses my stupidity for not grasping onto this chance earlier, does this thought not really cross my mind.

This because Sly's kiss is so filled with love, devotion and a strong, underlying hint of passion I can almost feel my mind surrendering to the needs of my body, yet the way Sly holds me proves at the same time that, while the Raccoon really wants me, he is holding back on how badly he does, not wanting to go too far just yet.  
Then Sly breaks the kiss and whispers: "Ti amo, mia bellissima." And I happily whisper back, my lips only inches from his own as I just want to seal them with another kiss and feel those incredible emotions that Sly stirs up within me yet again: "Y Te amo, mi novio devote." I then whisper and Sly hums in delight at hearing this.

The rest of the day passes by easily, Sly and his friends explain some of the heists they pulled together, the three of them seem adamant not to breach the subjects of the Fiendish Five or the Claww Gang, which I believe is because those were our most dangerous foes and my family and I learn what these adventures were like from their side.  
The way that they tell the stories of what I remember experiencing with them amazes me as there are aspects of these adventures and heists of theirs that I never even imagined and while it feels slightly mindboggling to realize that there is so much more to being a Master Thief on the run than I knew, do I feel exhilarated nonetheless.  
Exhilarated, not just because of how Sly seems to lose himself in his own stories, his voice changing tones whenever he speaks, but because this realization hitting home yet again makes me remember the dreams I had the night before, both the ones on what else Sly could possibly have yet to teach us as well as the other ones.

Wanting to tell him about these, do I decide to head for his bedchamber tonight before heading for my own, when suddenly Bentley interrupts my thought process and asks: "Eeeh Sly, what's going on?" This makes me look up from where Sly and I are still lying down on the recliner chair and Sly asks: "What do you mean, Bentley?"  
And the turtle aims for something near us, making me look at where his finger is pointed and seeing only Sly's tail, which is wrapped around my upper leg and is actually flicking through some of the fur near my ankle with the tip, the feeling of this movement being similar to that when I use one of my special brushes for my fur.  
Everyone looks at the tail in confusion and Sly shrugs as he says: "It's always been like that, pall. That's actually how I always knew when we had Carmelita approaching, really. What's the problem?" And while shocked that Sly's tail – in the past – alerted him to my presence, does Bentley apparently not share Sly's easy nature as he asks:

"What's the problem? Have you forgotten your weakness? Have you forgotten that incident when you were ten? I don't want to hear you screaming like that again, Sly. I thought you had worked on keeping your tail under a firm mind control. Why is it like this?" And while worried for what Bentley says, do I see Sly smile.  
The smile itself seems to confuse and aggravate the turtle and Sly says: "Bentley, the reason my tail is like this is because I don't really have a weakness. At least, not around Carmelita, I don't.""What's that supposed to mean?" Bentley asks, his voice showing how he's growing uneasy due to him not knowing something and Sly says:  
"In 1884 Tennessee Kid Cooper finally found himself a partner by having a female Weasel suddenly rub at the notch in his ear, making him feel stronger and better in his entire being than he ever felt. In 1330 did the son of Galleth Cooper find a partner due to this same female Raccoon softly running a hand down his spine.  
In 1922 did Otto Van Cooper die after a fatal attack on his person, one where he had been held by arms and legs while crooks of an enemy line twisted and pulled at his moustache. He died after being saved by his team, yet he was fortunate enough that his beloved wife had agreed to softly rub her hand over said appendage as he passed on."

Everyone looks at the Raccoon in shock and Sly shrugs as he says: "And the same counts for my tail. If an enemy like those bullies back when I was ten were to touch my tail, it would feel as if someone shot my central nerve system with a shock pistol from right in front of my body." This makes me cringe and look up.  
And I do so just in time as the loving and loyal look that I see Sly giving me, his smile one of absolute happiness, yet peace and tranquility shining in his eyes as he looks at me takes my very breath away as he continues: "Yet, if it were Carmelita – my ever gorgeous vixen – who touches the fur on my tail – that would have opposite effects."  
At this I can't help but turn my face away from that enchanting face that gazes down at me and look back at the ringed tail that is wrapped around my leg, the words of Sly screaming scaring me, yet the confidence and happiness with which Sly spoke urging the small urge within me to have one hand reach out for said wrapped up appendage.

Out of the corner of my eye do I see Bentley tense, the worry and fear on his face making me want to hesitate, but then my hand does touch the incredibly soft fur on Sly's tail and just by how silky soft and warm to the touch the fur feels do I move my hand further down, softly rubbing over the tail and turning my gaze back to Sly.  
The look that is on his face shocks me as Sly has his head back, his eyes closed and is moaning and actually purring, the sound itself making his chest rumble under my hand and his whole body shuddering as my hand goes up and down over his tail and the moans and purrs becoming more pleasure-filled the longer I stroke.  
Feeling exhilarated over the idea that I can actually do for Sly what he did for me when he wanted to lavish me on his birthday, do I smile widely and turn my attention back to the tail wrapped around my leg, my hand gaining a bit more grip and passing over more and more fur and skin of the tail as I lengthen my strokes.

For this I am rewarded by Sly shuddering more and more, the moans and purrs that come from his throat and chest sounding like the soothing melody of a rainforest after the monsoon, when the last drops of water track down through the trees and land on several leafs before hitting the surface of the earth below.  
Along with this does Sly start to speak, yet apparently does the touch of my hand on his tail make him lose all of his self-control as the words he mumbles are both in three different kinds of languages; Italian, Spanish and French, as well as uttered between hisses, purrs and moans of delight, sometimes mixing with any of the three sounds.  
The sight that Sly is enjoying my touch as much as I did when he was brushing my hair and when he was giving me that massage to help me ease out my muscles is one I feel like burning into my heart and memory for all eternity and while I remember him admitting how he wants to tend to my hair from now on, do I smile as I say:  
"I think we can officially make this a new daily tradition, my enjoyable Ringtail." The man moans, the sound coming from his throat proving he feels too much pleasure to respond otherwise and while I feel elated at the fact that I can turn him into incoherent mush like this, do I move my head close to his and whisper into his ear:  
"From now on, whenever you want to lavish me by brushing or tending to my hair, I get to lavish you by giving your tail a good rub or stroke, deal?" And the answer I get is one I couldn't have expected for the life of me as Sly doesn't shudder, moan, purr or even garble some unintelligible set of words spoken in different tongues.

Instead of that does he use both of his hands, which had previously been clenching and unclenching from the arm rests beside us, to grab my face and pull me into a demanding kiss, his lips devouring mine with an intense passion that leaves me breathless long before Sly even starts to devour my lips with his own.  
A moan like the one Sly had been uttering before escapes from my own throat as I feel Sly's lips crushing my own, the power and need to have me overwhelming me as I never thought Sly to be this strong in his grip and the appreciative groan that comes from Sly's throat and responds to my own makes me feel wanted and loved.  
Trying to keep my focus where it really belongs, do I attempt to keep up my stroking gesture on Sly's tail, but then one of his hands stops mine and Sly breaks the kiss, my face heating up as he whispers: "My love, if you continue now, I will not be able to keep myself in from bonding with you and making you mine for good."

And while the thought of being in bed with Sly makes my blood sear through my veins, my hips itch to move against his and my whole body tingle with the need to have these words come true, does the relentless hold Sly has on my hand to keep it from his tail make me realize that Sly does not yet believe us ready for this step.  
I move my hand away and Sly relents some of the firm hold he has on my wrist, his thumb starting to softly stroke my furred skin there as a silent apology for how rough he had held me and I smile lovingly at him at feeling this, kissing him softly once more to prove him how much I truly love the ringtail in my arms.

* * *

 _ **And enough of that!  
**_ _ **Wow, finally a chapter that finished somewhat in time! Seriously, I'm only 7 chapters in and already this story has almost 80 pages – which for my sake is a bloody lot. Now I will admit that keeping it Rated M at the end was a little hard, but I just had to put it down as that little thing was something I envisioned a lot of times.  
**_ _ **Yes, I believed that Sly could have a physical weakness and I felt that his tail – the most prominent and most recognizable part of him – should be incorporated into that, mostly because of the whole thing Sly explained about the ancestors and their similar so-called weakness. Does this weakness have a name?  
**_ _ **Yes, yes it does! I call it – ahem – THE LOVER'S ACHILLES HEEL! Okay, not the most original, but give me a break the damned thing is supposed to be discovered some three hundred years ago. As if they were that inventive in that time. They were not and because of that did I decide on the name, which I think fits.  
**_ _ **Now I do want to add that there will be another little timeskip of a few days – maybe weeks – and that I will mostly be switching between Sly and Carmelita for two reasons; 1. I love experimenting with a character like Sly. 2. They are pretty much the whole reason I made this story in the first place, so there!  
**_ _ **Enjoy the chapter,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_

* * *

 _ **Translation time:  
**_ _ **il mio piccolo ladro di cuori is Italian for My Little Thief of Hearts  
**_ _ **Ispettore della mia Anima is Italian for Inspector of My Soul  
**_ _ **Ti amo, mia bellissima is Italian for I love you, my Beautiful  
**_ _ **Y Te amo, mi novio devoto is Spanish for And I Love You, My Devoted Boyfriend**_


	8. Natural Instincts

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **New chapter up and this one will again be in Carmelita's POV. I know she's been the main character for almost the entire story already, but while there might be some more of Sly's POV once the actual heists and all that stuff – which I plan to make real soon – is the current topic of training more Carmelita based than Sly.  
**_ _ **Hope you understand,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. Credits For This Story Go To Kitty Petro  
**_ _ **PS. WARNING: MATURE THOUGHTS IN CHAPTER! WARNING!**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

It's been a couple of weeks now since my family and I stopped as Interpol workers and started our lives as Master Thieves in Training. None of us have yet been able to perform the stealth training Sly puts us through every morning to perfection, but by this time have all of us been able to reach the chair before he hears us.  
We have also set up a new schedule for chores that, before all of this, had been shared between just Sly, Bentley and Murray, yet after three days at training, did mum almost demand that she gets to help along in more than just being company and a good student, something that had made the three Master Thieves feel a little stupid.  
We had all sat down over this and we had actually agreed on a Name-Base schedule that was centered around our first name and would make it so that, while Sly, Bentley and Murray kept the meal chores, other chores such as keeping the house clean and checking to see if the beds were made were divided under my family and Guru.  
The chores would switch between person for every day and would be ordered in me, Cheren, Guru, Helena, dad and finally mum before I would be next the day after her and the schedule would restart. Everyone had been very happy with this and Sly had apologized for not thinking about incorporating us into their life schedules.

Other than that and training had not a whole lot happened, other than that a few times in the last week, Bentley had taken Sly and Murray apart from the rest of us and had apparently found something on his computer, something he told us we just weren't yet ready for as we had only started our training a little under three weeks ago.  
Cheren hadn't been happy with this, but Bentley had let Sly take him apart and Sly had taken him to the Hazard room where he had shown Cheren a challenge court that was similar to the location their topic of discussion was based at. Cheren had been shocked at seeing this and had shaken his head when Sly asked him:  
"Tell me, do you think you can handle something like this without thinking like a cop?" And that message had really hit home with us, making us all realize that, while we were now training to be master thieves, it would definitely take some time for us to get the mentality of one, no matter how well we practiced.

Sly had then taken us all for a little test through the Hazard Room, which had been build in such a way only a real Master Thief could pass through it and to my slight disappointment had mum made it further than any of us as Cheren, dad, Helena and I had all reverted back to our Interpol Mentality due to failing the test halfway through.  
Sly had been neither disappointed, nor surprised and he had told us that this was only to be expected. We had all come from years working in a completely opposite world and those years needed time to adjust and adapt to the new situation and environment. "You can't expect a cat to bark or a police to turn into a thief within a day."  
Sly had told us and we had all felt our aggravation over failing the test vanish at hearing these words. Still, I had been unable to keep myself from visiting Sly's room that same night and give his tail a good bit of treatment, telling my beloved ringtail that it was my way to apologize for losing myself to my temper like I had.

Sly had purred and moaned at feeling me treat his tail like I did and had told me that my temper was one of the things he loved about me. That it was one of the things that had made our time together on heists that much more enjoyable, a statement that had slightly annoyed yet also greatly amused me at the same time.

This last event is now three days ago and, after taking a long shower and getting dressed in my new training outfit – one I actually haven't worn in years, but that Bentley fixed up for me – do I head down to the kitchen, my eyes spotting Sly at the stove and my excitement getting the better of me as I can't help but think:  
"This might be my chance to actually pass that stealth test of his." And after taking a good look at the floor in front of me, do I spot the few dents in the tiles and the tiles in the floor that don't look as if they're fully stuck to the floor itself and while making sure not to step anywhere near these tricky little buggers, do I sneak over.  
I step over one of the tiles that looks as if it will crunch if I step on it and – to make sure I can really surprise the cooking Raccoon – do I take a detour through the kitchen, going around the table to make sure Sly really can't see me as the window near him is reflecting the wall next to the kitchen door and part of the door itself.  
I work my hardest not to tremble and to – at every step – quickly gaze down to make sure I put my foot right before looking back at Sly to see if he heard or noticed me yet, but the Raccoon seems heavenly content with what's he's baking and while excitement fills me up at the idea to finally pass, do I then spot something.

Only five steps away from Sly do I suddenly see how his tail is actually swishing as if delighted by something and instantly I remember what Sly said about the appendage. I look from it to Sly and then spot it. That smirk that is on the Ringtail's face as his eyes aren't aimed for the pan before him – but a spoon dangling from the wall.  
"Good morning, gorgeous." Sly then mutters softly and I curse the fact that he must have seen me approach from the silvery surface of the spoon before Sly turns his face back to his pan and says: "You really are getting better. My tail had a hard time defining whether or not it was really you that was approaching."  
Yet these words shock me and I ask: "Really?" Sly then sends me a hard, loving look, the strength of his gaze shocking me as he says: "My tail definitely did, but my other senses are a different story. You might want to start wearing different scents of perfume, my darling, that scent you currently have is so you, it's too familiar."

At this I raise an eyebrow and lean against a chair as I say: "Sly, I'm not wearing any perfume. I only shower with scented shampoo when I wash my hair and I do that every other day, which includes yesterday." At this Sly hums and asks: "Are you sure?" To which I nod and the man turns back to his cooking as he says:  
"Then we have a serious problem on our hands, gorgeous, because the musk that you emit by yourself is one I can smell all the way here and that while I'm making buttered cream for the waffles that are in the stove." This shocks me and I stutter as I ask: "But – but how do I emit a musk? I – I never did in my entire life."  
But then Sly says: "Yes, you did. I always smelled it just after feeling my tail starting to respond to your presence. It's one of the reasons I sometimes used less of my speed than I really could, I wanted to take a whiff of it before escaping your sexy captivity." And while this shocks me do I ask: "How – how long have you been able to?"  
At this Sly actually taps the fur on his chin with the handle of the stirring pole he's using and he says: "I – I think I took my first whiff of it – eeeehm? Ah, I remember, when I had you in my arms and we were escaping Interpol after the Contessa had been arrested." But then we both stop moving as we must both realize something.

"The Clockwerk Eyes. They – they must have somehow affected me, after all. They didn't put me under the Contessa's control, but – but why would they give me some kind of natural musk instead?" I ask, fear running through me as that was the first time I had actually been truly afraid of what a criminal could do to me.  
Sly is still looking at the wall where the spoon is dangling from, his hands stiff over the pan he's holding and the stirring of the cream having stopped as he seems deep in thought about something before he sighs and says: "I'll make sure Bentley checks you over once breakfast's finished. Don't worry, Carmelita, we'll fix this."  
And while the worried tone in his voice doesn't do much for my own now frayed nerves, do I nod and take my seat, trying not to think of what else that Contessa could have unleashed within me if she had had the chance. This makes me put my head in my hands and causes for my lower arms to tremble as fear courses through me.

Then I release a small yelp of shock as I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder, the yelp causing whoever touched me to scream as well and when I look up, do I see Bentley panting in his wheelchair with a startled look on his face as he says: "Geesh Carmelita, I didn't mean to startle you. You really were deep in thought, weren't you?"  
But I shake my head and say: "Not deep in thought, Bentley, as more lost in my own fear." The turtle looks confused and Sly softly says: "We just discovered that her having been captured and almost mind-controlled by the Contessa for some reason made her capable of emitting a really deliciously smelling musk."  
He smiles at the end, obviously with the intent to make me feel better about the development, but then Bentley asks: "What do you mean, a deliciously smelling musk? The only scent I've smelled coming from her is from that shampoo she took from her old place." This makes me look from Bentley in shock to the others and I ask:  
"Are any of you smelling anything?" But all of those around me shake their heads and I look to Sly, my eyes asking him: "How are you the only one smelling my musk?" Yet it seems as if Sly already has the solution, if the thoughtful look in his brown eyes is anything to go by and while hoping he does, do I hear him whisper:

"Maybe it wasn't the Contessa." And just those five words make me feel as if a weight of fear has been lifted off my shoulders before Bentley asks: "If it wasn't the Contessa, then what caused Carmelita's musk, Sly?" And while everyone now looks between the Raccoon and me in worry, does Sly ask me:  
"When you were in my arms and we were escaping from Neyla and her newly appointed case – what went through your mind?" This, while the memories of those weeks are ones I would rather forget, makes me look down at the plate of waffles with buttered cream and some strawberries as I try to remember my thoughts.  
"Well, at first I was just furious that Neyla had gotten promoted so quickly. Then, as we saw them starting to look for me and you grabbed me to take me out of their sight, did I feel as if Barkley had sunk lower than he ever could. And – and when you were holding me with that happy grin on your face – well –."  
I then turn to the thoughtful looking Raccoon, his amber brown eyes mesmerizing me before I say: "It was the first time I started realizing that you always treated me way better than anyone I ever worked with." Making Sly smile before he sighs, leans back on his chair with his arms behind his head and says: "I knew it."

Everyone looks at him and he says: "It's our bond. The bond I share with Carmelita is one that had been blocked because the both of us were more interested in our own professions than in really seeing if we could make things work. When Carmelita became a fugitive, I easily accepted it as I loved being able to help her.  
Because she at the same time accepted that there was something between us, did the block that kept us separated weaken, causing for everything that happened since, including for Carmelita to emit a natural musk that is meant to draw in and be smelled only by the one man she has been meant for since the day she was born."  
This makes everyone smile at the two of us, while I personally feel relieved of the last of the worries and feel my heart beating several miles per hour quicker than usual, the feelings I can almost feel coming just from the way Sly talks making me feel warm inside and out and making me smile at the amazing Raccoon in deep love.  
Sly smiles back, his amber brown eyes warm with love and his smile the usual playful smirk that always gets under my skin and makes me feel touched and – sometimes – slightly annoyed as he lowers his voice to a much warmer tone, making it so that everyone can clearly hear the love in his heart as he says:

"I always knew it, you know. I always knew you were meant for me. I knew you were special when I first met you. I knew I loved you when you helped me at Krack-Karov. I knew we could be together when you and I had our fun in the Chopper. And I knew you were meant for me when you proved I had a Lover's Achilles Heel."  
And while the memory of how Sly first reacted when I started rubbing his tail again flashes through my mind with pleasure, do I try not to feel aroused by what he had told me after I made the agreement with him of what I could do if he were to want and tend to my hair again. Yet it seems as if Sly is onto my thoughts after all.  
The look he now gives me, trying to hide it from the rest by taking a sip from his glass, sends a shiver of pure pleasure running down my spine, makes me fight my hardest not to have my fur bristle in arousal and makes my tail twitch with the need to make that look become reality while I feel my breath hitching in my throat.

"That he can affect you so easily. How on earth did you ever think you were supposed to catch him? He caught you long before you even stood a chance to catch him and you know it." A soft husky voice – that I have been hearing more and more since moving in with Sly – then whispers in my ear and makes me shiver yet again.  
"Are you okay, gorgeous?" Sly then calmly asks me, the way he peacefully works his way through his meal only betrayed by the smallest hint of a playful smirk that appears and disappears from his muzzle, making me shocked as I realize that he actually hitched me up on purpose and while fighting the voice within, do I say:  
"Fine, and breakfast's delicious as always, Sly." But then Bentley asks: "How do you know, you didn't even eat yet." Only for me to realize that the turtle is right and that my whole plate is still full. Still, because I don't feel like sharing what just transpired between me and Sly, do I instead send a glare Bentley's way and ask:  
"Do you doubt Sly's cooking?" Making the turtle turn red and take a bite himself. Relieved that the attention is away from awkward thoughts and uncomfortable situations, do I decide to put action to my words and start to eat, hoping I can just distract myself from what Sly just tried by enjoying what he has made for us.

 _ **Sly's POV**_

"Make her yours. You know you want to. She's right there. You're the Cooper Leader. You deserve to be with your woman. You said it yourself, she's meant for you. Prove it. Have her. You know she wants it. Just look at how distracted she is. Now's your chance. You waited so long, why are you waiting now?"  
The nagging voice that has been in my head since Carmelita joined the Gang asks me, making me hate how I behaved earlier as I had only wanted to satisfy the blasted little whispers, not entice them to become stronger and more demanding. Yet while I hate to give the voice right, do I still spare Carmelita a glance.

The vixen is seated at the chair besides mine with one of her legs wrapped tightly over the other, the way her left upper leg moves against her right making me know that my heated gaze had more effect on the fox than I had intended and the way that there is a faint red hue on her cheeks and her fur is ruffling proving this all the more.  
However, while I feel bad for having ruined my beloved's morning by giving her signs that I just don't feel ready for myself, can I not help my own hormones either or the way that they affect me as I keep looking at her, the way that she seems desperate for some relief making images run through my mind that I know are just too soon.  
"How can you say that? You waited five years for her. She's the blessing to your Achilles Heel. You know that has secondary effects on her, so use them. You know you want it and you can see how desperately she wants it. You're meant for each other and meant to continue the Cooper Line. So what are you waiting for?"  
The voice returns and I try not to growl loud enough to let anyone know of my inner conflicts as I ask: "Would anyone be against it if I did some private training before we start today's lessons?" And while the voice in my head screams at me in utter disbelief, does no one object and do I focus back on finishing my meal.

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

I don't really know what it is, but something about the way that Sly spoke just now concerns me and when I take a closer look, do I see that his eyes are too focused on finishing his meal to be normal. Wondering what could be bothering my Ringtail, do I make sure to enjoy my meal and eat with his haste at the same time.  
Mum and Sly then move over to do the dishes and when that's done, does Sly excuse himself, telling my parents they can use the Treasure Cove to learn about past heists from Bentley and Murray if they so desire before he moves over, his whole body tense and proving me how he's apparently holding back on something.  
Wondering how my Ringtail could have changed from the easygoing man that was making breakfast this morning to this tensed-up fighter that he seems to be now, do I wait a few minutes, in which the others move to the living room, before using everything Sly taught us about stealth to silently follow after him.

My worries are then increased as Sly seems too intend on his training and distracted by his own thoughts to realize he kept the staircase door open, making it so no one can go upstairs if they want to without closing it first and I decide to just leave it like that myself as closing it might actually alert Sly to my presence.  
This, while on one hand makes me feel as if I am getting some hands-on field experience here, makes me wish it was in a different kind of situation as the way that Sly is now growling and softly snarling at himself makes me worry for what could be going through the mind of the one man who has helped me in so many ways.

Sly enters the Hazard Room and actually activates the training course that proved my siblings and me how we still had a long way to go, his whole body moving with tenseness as he runs through the course and while before I often saw him taking on courses like this with great enjoyment, do I now miss that feeling coming from him.  
This only further proves me that something's wrong and when Sly is halfway down the course and standing on a large set of crates that are stacked together like a staircase, do I shout: "SLY, STOP!" Making the Raccoon turn to me, his eyes widening when he sees me and he quickly takes the course back my way.

Arriving near me, does he slowly approach me, sweating more than I could have expected of him and proving me all the more that he is both doing the course and fighting some inner kind of battle and when he asks: "Carmelita, what – what are you doing here?" Do I put all of the concern I feel growing in me in my voice as I say:  
"I saw your demeanor change at breakfast and heard the strange tenseness in your voice. It worried me, because you were so at ease and relaxed when making breakfast and it didn't seem as if anything bad happened during breakfast, so I – I just had to follow you. And – and you were so distracted, you didn't even close the staircase door."  
The Raccoon looks shocked at this and then sighs as he says: "You're right, of course. There – there is something that's been bothering me and – and I'm impressed that you noticed. I've been fighting it since you joined the team." This shocks and hurts me, but Sly is quick to notice this as he softly puts his hand against my cheek.

"Nothing against you, gorgeous, I love that you joined us, I really do. I love you, remember?" And while these words are spoken with an easy air and nature, can I tell that Sly doesn't just utter them to anyone and everyone, which makes the words warm me up from the inside and calm down some of my nerves before I ask:  
"So – what's wrong?" The raccoon sighs and says: "It's my instincts." This worries me and I ask: "You're not able to pull enough heists now that you're so busy training me and my family." But the shocked look that shows on Sly's face proves me wrong before he asks: "Are you crazy? My instincts revel in training you lot."  
This alone relieves me, while the happy excited tone with which he speaks makes me feel giddy from within and he says: "I really do, Carmelita, and so do Bentley and Murray. Now that they have their own canes, training for our Big Heist on Kaine Island is something they're even more excited about than ever before."  
Which is something I know is definitely true as Bentley either helps Sly with the courses he needs for us or uses them to train himself, Murray and sometimes Guru, whenever the little Koala believes himself better capable of keeping up with the training of the two instead of my family and then I ask: "So then what's wrong?"

And Sly sighs again, making me realize that the Raccoon had actually tried to distract me and he asks: "You know I'm the last of the Cooper line, right?" I nod at my partner, worried as he doesn't speak of it with his usual pride and strength and he says: "So, if you were to word it different, you could say, the Cooper future depends on me."  
Another nod is my response to him, while the way he now hangs his head makes me wonder if something could have happened to his physique during one of our missions and then suddenly Sly asks: "Carmelita, how – how far along do you believe our relationship stands?" Shocking and highly confusing me as he asks.  
I take a step back in shock, but then, when I feel unable to answer the question as it confuses me just too much in combination with our current topic and Sly sighs upon seeing this before he says: "Because my – my instincts – well, they – they're just much further developed than I believe our relationship to be at this point."  
And finally do I realize what could be bothering the Ringtail before me, making me turn a really dark red as I can't help but remember the few horny nights I have been spending in my room the last few weeks – and even a few before I joined the gang – where I wouldn't dream of my training, but rather my actual bond with Sly.

"You – you want to consummate our relationship." I whisper softly, but Sly shakes his head and says: "No! No, I don't. Not yet! We've only just got together and I don't want this bond to be based on mutual physical affection alone. I want us to have a real base of loyalty, devotion and love before we take that step."  
Yet while Sly's words touch my heart and make it soar with love and respect for my beloved Ringtail, do they also remind me of one of my more recent dreams where Sly would whisper what he thought was pretty or sweet or otherwise attractive about my form before using his lips, tongue and touches to prove his words true.  
Remembering what Dream-Sly told me that night makes me even more attracted to the real-life Raccoon in front of me, until suddenly Sly groans in frustration and when he asks: "I'm turning you on, aren't I?" Do I again turn red before remembering that Sly can actually smell some sort of natural musk that I emit.  
Feeling a little embarrassed that this scent is letting Sly know of what is going through my head at the current moment, do I take a deep breath before I say: "You've been turning me on long before I joined your gang, Sly. And – and sometimes just looking at you, the way you move and behave – is enough to make me want you."

At this Sly closes his eyes in frustration, even if a smooth, confident smirk grows on his face at the same time, but then I move closer, take his cheek in my hand and say: "We're not ready for what our bodies want, Sly, and I understand how that frustrates you. It frustrated me that I had to continue treating you badly all these years."  
This makes the frustration leave Sly's eyes, replacing it with gratitude before he whispers: "I still can't quite believe you trusted in me enough to behave like that and depend on me that way. That really means a lot to me, Carmelita." And while I feel a little more of my guilt ebb away thanks to his words, do I happily say:  
"I do trust you, Sly, and I want you to trust me. So next time those instincts of you rise up, just let me know and we'll work out a way together for you to release that tension inside yourself, okay? At least that way, you'll be able to enjoy courses like this like you usually do." I then end my little bit of advice and Sly laughs at hearing this.  
He then pulls me close and puts his face in my neck, making me tilt my head a little to make sure he can have better access to the spot his muzzle is pressed against and when I feel wind being blown his way rushing through my fur, does a shiver run down my entire spine at the thought of Sly sniffing at my new natural musk.

This makes me shiver in the arms that hold me so lovingly and Sly starts to purr softly, before he harshly pulls back and I push back the feeling of being rejected as the look of intense focus on Sly's face proves me that he is fighting his own instincts yet again, making me amazed at how strongly the inner Raccoon actually wants me.  
Then I remember another thing that is part of Sly's inner Raccoon and smile while letting one of my hands softly glide down his spine to his tail, but Sly stops me and whispers: "Carmelita, gorgeous. Please, anything but that. If you touch or stroke my tail now that I am holding back so strongly, you will break my focus."  
This worries and slightly hurts me and I ask: "Is – is there any other way I can help you?" And the simple, charming smile that appears on Sly's face calms my worries as he says: "There is. Let's head for your room." And while wondering what could be done there, do I nod and lovingly follow my leader and boyfriend.

Sly waits for me at the staircase up and closes it, allowing us to head up to the second floor where he quickly dashes into his own room to pull out another CD before he leads me to my own, a smile growing on my face yet again as walking into this amazing place and knowing Sly build it himself always warms me from within.  
Sly then moves over to the little stereo set I had taken with me from my old place and while part of me wonders if someone else has taken residence there now, do I shake that thought away, not really caring either way before suddenly the one song I have loved my entire life starts to sound , Sly turning to me as he turns it on.

 _ **Look into my eyes - you will see**_ _ **  
**_ _ **What you mean to me**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Search your heart - search your soul**_ _ **  
**_ _ **And when you find me there you`ll search no more**_

At this the Ringtail walks over to me, his hand asking me to dance and while the idea to dance with the same man that made my night at Rajan's party so divinely amazing, do I bow my head in thanks before taking his hand, the way that his eyes search mine with love and then captivate me with his gaze making me sigh as I dance.

 _ **Don`t tell me it`s not worth tryin` for  
**_ _ **You can`t tell me it`s not worth dyin` for  
**_ _ **You know it`s true  
**_ _ **Everything I do - I do it for you**_

At this the music begins to speed up, the sound of the piano and soft wooden guitar being strengthened by a drum set and an electrical guitar and Sly moving along with this, the hand that is holding mine now moving up my shoulder and his other softly strengthening its hold on my waist as he ups the pace of our amazing dance.

 _ **Look into my heart - you will find**_ _ **  
**_ _ **There`s nothin` there to hide**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Take me as I am - take my life**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I would give it all I would sacrifice**_

 _ **Don`t tell me it`s not worth fightin` for  
**_ _ **I can`t help it there`s nothin` I want more  
**_ _ **Ya know it`s true  
**_ _ **Everything I do - I do it for you**_

At this point the sound of the electrical guitar overpowers that of all the other instruments, giving the amazing love song a powerful boost and while, at the last line Sly had extended me so that only one of our hands were touching before pulling me back and bedazzling me with a loving gaze, does he now open his mouth and sing:

 _ **There`s no love - like your love**_ _ **  
**_ _ **And no other - could give more love**_ _ **  
**_ _ **There`s nowhere - unless you`re there**_ _ **  
**_ _ **All the time - all the way**_ _ **  
**_

And just by the amazing strength that I can hear coming from Sly's voice as he sings do I realize that, incredible instincts or not, Sly loves me like no one has ever loved me before and in his heart he knows that I share that love for him as well. This makes tears shine in my eyes and I happily lie my head on his chest.  
Sly pulls me so that his arms are now around my waist, both of them linked together over my back and his muzzle softly caresses my hair as we dance, staying where we are and just sliding around on our united axis as the song is only instrumental shortly before the lead singer comes back up and Sly sings along once more.

 _ **Oh- you can't tell me it`s not worth tryin` for**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I can`t help it there`s nothin` I want more**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I would fight for you - I`d lie for you**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Walk the wire for you - Ya I`d die for you**_ _ **  
**_

At this point, Sly actually holds the last tone longer than the lead singer, his voice sharp and strong and filled with the power he feels in his heart, which hits mine and makes me glad that I am in his sturdy grasp as I feel my body almost sagging against his own by the incredible strength of all the emotions he conveys to me.  
Then, like the lead singer, does Sly lower his voice and while his love is now more evident to hear than before, do I feel a shiver of delight and pleasure run down my spine as Sly actually moves his head back to lie against my neck, his breath tickling the fur on my neck and shoulder in a pleasant manner as he sings.

 _ **Ya know it`s true**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Everything I do - I do it for you**_

And with those words does Sly stop our dance, the CD going onto another song without either of us caring as I feel myself encased, not just by Sly's arms and his face in my neck, but by the words he just sung and the deep emotions he conveyed to me as he sung, as if another Sly, this one spiritual, is hugging me from my back.  
The feeling of being encased by two Sly Coopers makes me shiver in pleasure and serenity and makes most of my muscles, bar those that I have been using for my training this morning, relax as I feel warm, safe and deeply loved, something I had been losing belief in I could feel after that terrible meeting in Interpol's cafeteria.

Yet Sly seems to sense that not all of my muscles are relaxed yet and whispers: "Want another massage, my love?" Making me shiver at feeling his breath tickle my skin again, while the idea of having those powerful fingers rub and move over my body makes that same voice as the one I heard this morning come up again:  
"Yes, let him. Let him touch you. Let him move you. Let him bond to you. You know you want it. Just let him. You've wanted a man like him your entire life. He's the last of his line and you're meant for him. You know what you should do. Entice him to do it. You know you want to. Your body wants it. What are you waiting for?"  
And while I feel my body responding to the things suggested by the voice, do I mentally whisper back: "Sly doesn't want this and I respect that. He and I share a bond of respect and that will keep you crushed until the time is right." And while these words seem to silence the voice, do I take a deep breath and mutter:

"Maybe a massage will be good. Training keeps my muscles a little more tense than I guess is good for me and – well – it's not just your instincts that are driving you on." This seems to shock Sly and I take another deep breath as I say: "I've been having this stupid voice in my head spurring me on since I joined the team.  
It's constantly trying to use any and all situations where you and I are together to entice me into – well, you know." The Raccoon nods and turns a little sad as he says: "Are we really like that, Carmelita? Are we really nothing more than animals that can't have a relationship without lusting after each other?"  
But I shake my head at him, my earlier thoughts making me feel confident and strong as I say: "There's nothing wrong with wanting one another, Sly, but you and I, we share something much stronger. We respect each other and that respect is much stronger than any instinct we may have due to our natural instincts."  
At this Sly smiles, the pain he had in his eyes earlier gone from his gaze and I lock my gaze with his as I lie one hand on his cheek and say: "After all, you and I have been in love long before I moved here and if you wanted it, you know you could easily overpower me and take me as you please – but you don't and that's what matters."

And these words seem to say everything to my beloved Raccoon as his whole face lights up, his ears pointed up straight and his eyes shining like pure amber as he looks at me and he happily presses his lips against mine, the way that he kisses me making me purr as my tail twists and turns in sheer delight at being kissed so lovingly.  
"You are one amazing woman, Carmelita Montoya Fox, and I am ever so thankful that you are mine." Sly then whispers as we part for air and I smile at him before he, using the easy-going tone that I love so much about him, pulls me to my bed and asks: "So, how about that massage, my gorgeous vixen?" Making me laugh as I lie down.

* * *

 _ **Eight pages, enough!  
**_ _ **Wow, so both Sly and Carmelita have a little voice in their head, created by their natural animalistic instincts that spurs them on into officially claiming each other as their own, yet their respect and care for the other is keeping them from actually doing this as they only just started dating. Good for them, right?  
**_ _ **Anyway, next chapter will be Sly's POV, will start right where this chapter ended and will describe the massage and a few other events that might take place, including – I hope – a new bit of training. I say I hope, because I'm not entirely certain what this will be yet, but hopefully I will have some ideas by the time of the next chapter.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. IN REGARDS TO THE SONG - I OWN NOTHING AND MAKE NO MONEY OF IT WHATSOEVER! THE SONG BELONGS TO THE RESPECTIVE BAND AND SO DO ALL RIGHTS TO SAID SONG!**_


	9. Interlude: Two Months Later

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **For this chapter I decided on a little time jump of a few months as well as to do something little fun – something more commonly known as sweet revenge. And sorry, but just having the team quit their jobs doesn't feel like it was enough revenge for the emotional terror Barkley put Carmelita through the entire time, so yeah.  
**_ _ **Let's have fun,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. Credits For This Story Go To Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Murray's POV**_

It's been two months now since Sly's birthday, since Bentley and I actually got canes of our own and since the Master, Bentley and I became like a side team to Sly as he became busier and busier – as well as happier and happier – with getting the new part of our team – the Fox Family – ready to be official Master Thieves.  
The four of them are doing really great and take to Sly's lessons just as great as Bentley and I did when we were learning from him when we were just kids and Sly only had his memories of his father's lessons to go by, yet it's the life and progress of one of them that has had my interest ever since she joined us.

I don't know what it is about Helena Fox, but something about the peach-color furred, brown-eyed fox draws me in and the way her body bends and moves entices me and makes me glad that we barely ever train alongside her and her family as I just know that I would be too distracted with looking at her to do any proper training.  
Yeah, it has taken a lot of years before I got to this point, but now I finally understand why Sly always loved his chases with the former inspector Fox as I enjoy spending time with Helena just as much as he used to and while Bentley and the Master seem perfectly onto me and my growing feelings – is Sly in a world of his own.  
Of course I understood what he said when he spoke Italian to Carmelita in the back Urmilla's designer shop and the Raccoon has definitely been coming true to his promise of showing her how the treasures and emotions of his heart were for her and her alone as he has started several special little rituals of personal romance with her.

One of them was that, whoever woke up first would wait for the other in the kitchen and if Carmelita woke up first she would be allowed to pick out whatever it was that she wanted us to have for breakfast, if Sly woke up first, Carmelita would join him at the stove and would wrap her arms around him from behind as he worked.  
The two always talked while Sly cooked and while Carmelita sometimes helped Sly along by fetching a certain ingredient Sly was missing while cooking, did Sly never really accept for anyone bar himself to make breakfast and while the fox had been confused by this at first, had she grown to just accept it as time went on.  
Another little ritual of theirs is that, after dinner, they would always spend at least an hour in each other's arms in Sly's personal chair and while I had felt shocked the first few times to see how easily Sly accepted the fox in his chair, do I still remember how he had commented that this allowed him more time close to her.

And this is something I can understand more and more the longer the Fox Family stays at our place, something they have done permanently after they officially resigned from their jobs at Interpol – and Sophia with her job at the local Hospital – the more I just want to be close and spend time with the middle child of the Fox family.  
Yet, while Sly, Bentley and I have been spending a lot of time with them, have we also been spending an even amount of level of time with just the three of us, simply because that is something we are so used to none of us want to stop it now that our team has gained members – something all the others more than understood.

Yet while the three of us are now easily spending time together, me playing a little game of on the game machine Bentley was able to build and install with a game of his own design, Sly reading through the Thiefnet magazine in order to see if there are any potential targets for us to go after, does Bentley suddenly say:  
"Hey Sly, remember that one plan Murray and I thought of about two months after we settled down here?" To this I pause my game to look at the turtle as I do have a bit of an idea of which plan he is talking about, while Sly looks up, the look on his face proving he was too deep into his magazine to have really heard the turtle.  
"You mean the one Sly absolutely refused to go through? _Operation No Plan, Not Yet_?" To this Sly looks shocked as he must have apparently completely forgotten about that one, yet the look that grows on Bentley's face as I mention the name proves that I did indeed read his question right before he snickers: "Exactly, that one."

And while I wonder if Sly would still be against this plan as it involved Interpol, something that always made Sly turn down the plan as he didn't want to cause more problems for Carmelita than necessary, yet just one look at my leader – and still the youngest member of my family – proves that this is no longer the case.  
The look that is now on the Raccoon's face could easily be seen on the face of a Cobra when it is about to puncture its prey or foe with its deadly poison and then Sly speaks and his words decide what the team will soon be doing: "Two months sure is enough time to make him believe himself free of payback, don't you agree?"  
And while the deadly smirk on Bentley's face proves that he really has grown to consider the Fox Family as part of his own – just like Helena hinted at when we met them – do I personally just feel like the actual dangerous beast that I am as I sometimes felt like just opening my big mouth and munching on Barkley right to his death.  
Yet, while I know that this plan will not allow me to do anything remotely like that, do I still feel like following up with this plan and just like all the other times do I feel blessed and super-excited over the fact that I am part of this here gang as I can't imagine anyone else I would want to take down that bastard with, ever.

* * *

 _ **That night  
**_ _ **Helen's POV**_

I don't always know what Sly, Bentley and Murray do during their little time together while Carmelita and I had a little bit of girl time together in her room, yet it's obvious that, whatever it is, it makes them very excited and this excitement has been shown on all of their faces all throughout dinner and after.  
Yet just when Sly and Carmelita have started their usual hour of cuddling, does Sly then speak up, something he hasn't done much so far and he says: "Hey gang, you remember how Bentley, Murray, Guru and I came back from a really difficult heist about two weeks ago now?" To this we all nod and I remember that time.

It had indeed been two weeks ago and Sly and the Gang had been gone for a good four days. Carmelita had proven that she had noticed this the most of us all as she looked really sad making breakfast for us and just as sad after dinner when she would move into their chair and cuddle with herself for a few minutes.  
After this she would go to bed and while she had tried not to show how much she had missed Sly at first after he returned, had Sly not had the same intentions as he had pulled her close to his form, kissed her almost into a coma and whispered all kinds of sweet words in a combination of Italian, Spanish and English.  
This had broken my sister's mask of indifference and the two had spent a good two hours closely together before they had almost agreed that they should move their relationship to the next level by having either of them move into the same room as the other, yet in the end they had agreed to wait on this just a little longer.

Then Sly brings me back from memory lane and he says: "Well, this time you guys can come with us." All of us look at him shocked and the excitable smile that has been adorning his face now actually has a strong hint of malice in it that makes me wonder what his connection is to his next target before dad asks:  
"Wait, you guys already have a new target?" To this Sly nods and says: "To be honest, this is actually a slow period for us. We usually have about four to six targets in these months and then a good one or two dozen in about two months from now all the way until – I think, Easter?" He asks and Bentley nods before he goes on:  
"Anyway, usually, yes, it does take us a few more weeks before we get our next target, yet there is also one job we have been postponing practically ever since my friends and I settled down here." This confuses me as well as my family and dad asks: "Why postpone a plan for that long? Haven 't you been here for years now?"  
Sly nods and then tightens his hold on Carmelita as the malice disappears out of his smile and gets exchanged for romantic care as he says: "We postponed it, because it concerned a location that I was against targeting – namely Interpol." This shocks my entire family and then Sly turns to his girlfriend as he softly says:

"I was constantly against that target, lovely, I just didn't want to cause you anymore problems than necessary or would be considered required for the profession I lived up to. Yet, now that you are part of my team and now that two months have passed – don't you think it's time we show that lowlife that his payback has yet to end?"  
And while I feel amazed that, even before Carmelita fell for the Raccoon, she had enough of his loyalty to her that he didn't want to harm her reputation more than required of him, do I fully agree with the new game plan of the Raccoon and then Carmelita proves me that she is all in as she smirks herself and says:

"Oh yes, I agree, my nefarious Ringtail. And I even know how to make this plan of yours even better. I know of Interpol's most hidden little treasure and – if we can manage to get to that, steal it and then show it out to the public – it will not just embarrass Barkley even more than we did in front of his superiors – it might even ruin Interpol."  
And while I wonder how on earth she could have found out about something like this, about something even I didn't know the existence of, does this make the gleeful malice that is shown on Murray and Bentley's face, does Sly reward his girlfriend with a searing kiss before he huskily whispers at her:  
"Tell us everything, my Carmen, we are all ears." And with that do we all hunch over to sit close together, does Sly place Carmelita on his lap with his arms around her waist and do we go over all that Carmelita has to tell us, me shocked at what she discovered about this treasure, as well as the plan that Bentley aptly calls:

 _ **Operation No Plan, Not Yet – NOW!**_

* * *

 _ **Okay, short, but sweet.  
**_ _ **Okay, so I didn't actually write out this so-called target that I'm pretty sure you all read about at the start of last chapter, yet I did want to make it look as if Sly and the others do more than train up the Fox Family, yet I didn't really have any thought up info regarding their target, so Helena only remembered their return.  
**_ _ **Now, next chapter will definitely be much longer as it will concern the actual operation and I will probably have it be in multiple Points of View, which reminds me: WARNING: MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW COME UP NEXT CHAPTER! Sorry, I had someone complain about that at - I think it was actually another story.  
**_ _ **Have fun,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	10. Operation No Plan, Not Yet - Now!

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **WHOOPS, almost forgot about this chapter. I had finished A New Era and thought I was done with my chapters for April, but the number of chapters in Doc Manager was only fifteen and I thought; wait, that's not right. So I checked my schedule and list of stories that need updates and felt stupid, cause I almost forgot this one.  
**_ _ **Sorry,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

"I have never been more ashamed to have been working for this bad security dump. How was Interpol able to keep all those prisoners locked up when their security system is actually this – crap?" Goes through my mind as I follow Sly and brother, who got picked to give Sly and me backup in case we would need it.  
Guru is taking a different route with dad who is further mapping out possible escape routes whereas Guru's job is to spot locations where we can hide away once we reach the actual vault that we will steal from, while outside Bentley is monitoring us on his pc and Murray, mum and Helena are all ready as backup and getaway.  
The stupid thing is that Interpol actually has a weak spot that makes it impossible for both those across the street as well as anyone inside the building to spot intruders and that is the actual spot we have used to get in; the location being an upstairs office that has long since been out of use and which leads straight to the ventilation.  
The reason for this being impossible to see is because the window is framed into the corner of the building and there is a small alleyway between Interpol office and the building next to it, which is closer to the Eifel Tower and is two stories higher, meaning that if the Tower is light, the corner is shrouded in darkness.

The only thing that would sabotage this part of the mission would be if the person trying to break in would be terrible in stealth, yet my brother and I have trained endlessly on this after hearing what the Cooper Gang had planned and of course Sly was known for his stealthy movement more than any other of his abilities.  
Still, the fact that we had jumped from the higher building's top to a window with large extended sill and then to the corner window, which Sly had needed no more than 14 seconds to pick and we had then followed him inside and into the vent which was shockingly located into the floor, all without being seen had astounded me.  
Sly himself had smirked and looked deeply elated with getting this job done and had obviously enjoyed every moment, especially when he got the lock picked so easily as he had pinched his muzzle close to muffle a snort of amusement, yet the part of me that was once a worker here feels utterly and absolutely horrified and humiliated.

"We seriously made the right decision leaving this dump." Cheren then whispers while we move through the ventilation system, Sly pressing a finger to his ear whenever we near a crossroad and Bentley, who has an eye on our location through our new Binocucoms, telling him which air vent to take each time and I nod at him.  
"And we are all very happy to have you on the team. However, be quiet, you are approaching a bat, cougar and fox officer. Keep still if you feel you need to and I will tell you when it is safe." Bentley then tells me and I follow his advice, Sly moving only a little further ahead, but halting once he turns a corner to keep his tail in sight.  
I myself look down and my blood runs cold as the bat is actually a senior assistant to Barkley and he had often been present when Barkley laid into me for not catching Sly and making comments on how I had used the wrong techniques and should just listen to him and his advice about my body and how to use it in battle.  
The things Barkley had said had often made it very clear that the bat got turned on by his boss' words and he had even been one of the few people I had been allowed to decline an invitation to dating as his voiced beliefs of the term _dating_ had even abhorred those that believed I was stealing away their potential boyfriends.

And it seems as if my resignation – and that of my family – from Interpol has not affected the winged demon in the slightest as I hear his colleague, who he often bragged with in my presence, ask: "Aren't you bumped that hot smoke fox isn't around anymore or hasn't been seen in several months?" To which the bat answers:  
"Nah, I mean, yeah my boss is in a cave load of trouble, but he's determined to get that dumb bint back and get Interpol back to how it was before her supposed _resignation_. He even promised I could have her come her first night back on the job – as long as he got the first go, he said." And his cruel laugh makes me hold back a gasp.  
The two and their laughing partner then round a corner and then suddenly something happens that almost makes me blow cover as I yelp in fright when I hear Bentley: "Carmelita, I have that all on tape. Permission to send it to the Superiors?" And while my whole body trembles in absolute fright, do I whimper: "Granted."

Before Cheren moves over to crouch in the vent on my side and he wraps a warm arm around my trembling body as he puts his other hand to his ear and hisses: "Leader, daughter in peril. I repeat, daughter in emotional peril. Return to our position." And instantly Sly's tail gets replaced by his worried looking face.  
Yet that worry is only around the corner for a second before, without even making a single sound in the whole vent, the raccoon crouches over to us with lightning speed and he asks: "Carm, gorgeous, what's wrong? Did you recognize our potential hazards?" And I nod, my body still trembling in fear over what I heard.  
"You're not employed here anymore, sis. And we both know you never will again. Just think of this as further motivation. This is the sole reason we are doing this. Remember that, Carm. Please." Cheren then whispers at me and these words do exactly what I need them as my body stops trembling and I take a deep breath before I hiss:  
"Murray, when that bastard gets arrested, I want him locked in a different hide out here in town. I will show him hot smoke fox." And the Hippo gives me the affirmative through my ear piece before I look at a worried looking Ringtail and say: "Later. Let's go, we have a mission." And while concerned, does Sly nod at me.

He then turns around, but then I can hear Bentley in both my own and my brother's ear piece and he says: "Sly, you keep escorting Carmelita to the vault. Cheren, I'm going to break you from the team and give you a little lesson in how to take pictures with the Binocucom. Let's bring the ultimate evidence together."  
And while slightly worried for my brother, do I still love Bentley's quick thinking and Cheren nods and kisses me on the cheek before he takes a tunnel left while Sly and I go right and then I suddenly hear a different voice and Helena says: "Carm, it's me. Bentley is now leading Cheren and mum is guiding dad and Guru."  
I nod and under the guidance of my sister do we avoid both the disgusting bat as well as Barkley, who my sister spots just before we turn into the tunnel that would lead to the path he is taking and while I wonder if I would have another episode or get filled with rage when seeing the Badger, am I still grateful for my sister's diversion.

Then we reach it, the very center of the building, which is on the second floor and build just behind the elevator and as we do, do we come across our second obstacle as the air vent itself stops half a hallway and a corner away from where the vault is actually located, yet before either of us can think of a solution, do I hear mum:  
"Carm, Sly, Guru and your dad are already in the hallway. Look for Guru and he will lead you to father. He will then back you up and give you the distraction needed to keep the attention from the vault so you can sneak in and get our target. All in all, you will have no more than seven minutes to get in and out after meeting father."

This alone worries me as I have noticed to need at least ten to fifteen minutes to get through our usual training route, which we have come to make a daily thing and part of the schedule we have put up together everything else mum got Sly and the others to agree with, but then Sly distracts me from my thoughts by saying:  
"This is not the route. Just follow me in, let me pick the lock, get the item and follow me out. No obstacles, no hazards, just in, action, out. We can do this." And both his confident tone as well as the fact that he didn't compliment me once proves both his trust in me as well as how serious the raccoon takes this mission.

I nod at the leader of my team and the both of us check through the bars that allow air to escape the vent to see if we see anyone come around. "Coast is clear." Bentley whispers and while part of me finally understands how Sly can maneuver all over the place so smoothly, do I also very much appreciate the turtle's help.  
Sly unlocks the vent door with his cane and with his finger between the lid, does he put his cane back in its holster before he looks up at me and when I give him a self-confident nod, does he smile at me before sliding down through the door, me following him once I see him having found a good spot to hide behind.  
The two of us then crouch behind a water fountain and Sly's eyes roam the hallway before he draws my attention and motions for a plant that would have looked perfectly random, were it not for the purple pot with brown stripes that go from the top right down to the bottom left, which I know is the Guru in disguise.

I nod and take the lead, keeping my ears strained for any noise that isn't the rustling of Guru's disguised leafs or coming from my leader and a few minutes after I have hidden myself perfectly behind the small koala, does Sly join me before the whispering voice of the koala comes from the plant and says:  
"Father around the corner. Me take you there then me and father draw others attention." At this I nod, while part of me starts to worry as we – in huddled position – start to follow our disguised partner, seeing the amazing reputation my father used to have, but when we reach the man himself, do I get a shock I hadn't been expecting.  
Dad seems to have visited the Under-Cover division before coming here as he no longer looks like the Fox that snuck in a few minutes after Sly and I did. Instead of that does he look like a Jack Russell Terrier with a small birthmark on the left side of his face, just under his sky blue eyes, one of which is hidden under soft blond hair.

The man smiles at me before he motions for his side, where a Terrier who he seems to perfectly resemble now, but who is knocked out cold and tied up as he says: "Brains warned me that our buddy here was on guard duty, so I made use of my years of experience working here and made a detour before you guys came."  
Sly smiles and asks: "How long will he be out?" To this the man shrugs and asks: "How long would you be if someone came running at you and used the blunt side of his cane on your head? Which I did just before Guru changed form, so I'd say – four minutes ago." To this Sly nods and says: "So he won't bother us.  
Good, start the distraction and we'll do the rest. Guru, stay close to where we met so you can keep an eye on our entrance." The two nod and leave again, Guru having changed his disguise to help my dad carry him and after the two have turned the corner, do I spare a last look at the knocked-out guard before turning to Sly.

The look in his eyes proves that he absolutely loves all of this and I smile back at him before we share a nod and then we move over to the wall where I know the vault is hidden and while moving over to the simple looking set of awards that are hung up on the wall opposite of where our knocked out friend was seated behind his desk.  
"Hiding a vault behind regular awards that can easily be earned by every day citizen. Interpol must really think their targets to be dumb idiots if they believe this isn't an overly obvious hiding place, especially seeing the guarding desk here at the end of a dead end hallway. Though I will admit, I would search the bookcase first."  
Bentley whispers in my ear as I try to remember behind where the vault was hidden and I mutter back: "That is exactly what they are hoping for. The bookcase is build onto a weight-based alarm, a very sensitive one. Just removing a single book would set off the alarm. Plus, our target isn't even commonly known around office."

The turtle hums and then I notice the difference between the awards as one of them has a triangle of a dark red, a blue and a brown spot in the bottom right corner of the award in the bottom right of the set and I smirk as I remember what I found out when first taking a secret look at this and I mutter to myself as I move for the awards.  
"Red is three letters, blue is four and brown is five. That together makes 12, which is 1 and 2 put next to each other, so the third award –." And with that to I pull the award on the right top corner from the wall, while clearly sensing the confusion coming from my leader and beloved and while I allow him near the vault, do I say:  
"It's a system that has been set up for all Interpol officers who have promoted enough to get vaults and lockers of their own. It's both a test to see how great they are with memorizing small details and how to discern even the strangest clues as well as to make sure our valuables don't get stolen when we're out in the field.  
The way they developed this system – don't ask. I found out and I wish I didn't." The raccoon nods and then places a small device that looks like a locket pendant against the vault door, the bottom of the pendant sticking to the wall, while from the top a small satellite comes out of the doors and Sly whispers: "Brains, it's all yours."

"Roger, time for a hack-attack." This makes my partner smile and just when he does, do I hear something loud happening several hallways down and while I can only hope that dad will be careful, do I suddenly remember something and I hiss: "Sly, we can't just leave once we get the file." Making the raccoon ask:  
"Why not?" To which I answer: "The Superiors. They were all in for punishing Barkley and were furious with him. We have to at least give them a warning, so they can claim immunity once this comes out. Just because one group in Interpol is in the wrong, does that not mean we can harm the ones in Interpol fighting them."  
The Raccoon nods and draws one of his signature cards from his backpack, while my eyes stray from him to the device and back, hoping Bentley will be able to get into the vault without tripping other vault alarms and while Sly hands me the paper and a pen, do I whisper at Bentley: "Brains, be careful, the vaults are linked."  
"Roger." Bentley whispers back before he gasps and whispers: "Thanks for the warning, steel one, I almost accidentally tripped one of them." And while relieved that I was just in time, do I then press the signature card against the wall and write: _We have info to ruin Barkley. You deserve not to be ruined. Watch the papers._

I then quickly turn the card around and in the bottom of the symbol do I put the initials _CMF_ together with the symbol of Interpol to give the Superiors a hint as to who left them the card and just when I put it in my own outfit, do I hear my brother: "I'm with Guru." To which I press my ear communicator and whisper:  
"Get over here. I have another side mission for you." My brother arrives and I quickly let him in on the details, before the boy nods, takes the card from me and Sly whispers: "Take that to the Superior's office and then return to Murray and the others. We'll be with you shortly." And as he says that, does Bentley squeal and say:  
"Bingo, the lock has been broken." And with that do we all smile as we see the vault door creak open, a whole group of files lying behind the door and Sly winces as he says: "This – might take longer than planned." Yet while Cheren dashes off to perform his own mission, do I calmly walk over and after a single glance reach out.

I push the articles and a few fake magazines away and then grab one that looks fake, were it not for the fact that the front cover is a perfect duplicate of a magazine that got published several years ago and I take the magazine and then pull the front cover off, smiling in victory when, under the front page, I see an actual file appear.  
I had also grabbed one other magazine and quickly put the second magazine into the front cover of the hidden file and then look into the vault, feeling very proud of how I had slid another file in the place of the original file, making sure not to spring the weight-sensitive alarm and then switch this file for the fake magazine.  
After this do I gently and silently close the vault door and just when I share a proud smile with my partner, do I hear dad whisper: "Leader, daughter, head for the exit. Distraction has ended, I repeat, distraction has ended." And after a shocked look we share, do we turn and dash for where Guru is waiting for us.

The koala helps me back up into the air vent and while he then helps Sly as well, does he also grab onto Sly's cane, which the raccoon had pulled out while dashing and while holding onto his leader's weapon, do they both vanish into the air vent with me, just when a whole group of officers dash into the hallway, one of them shouting:  
"I saw movement, that traitor went this way, come on!" Which makes me smile as it means that us vanishing into the air vent distracted the officers away from my father, allowing him more chance to make an escape of his own and while one of them shouts: "WHAT THE HECK?" Do my leader, Guru and I happily crawl through the vent.

* * *

 _ **And that is that!  
**_ _ **I will be honest, I didn't always know what I was going to do, I was kind of just letting my fingers write out parts that made it easier to keep the story flowing – without really knowing how to write an action scene like this. I know it doesn't really comply with Cannon, but then again; that's what fanfiction is all about.  
**_ _ **So next chapter will be another time jump to maybe a week after and will mostly be the team recapping how the papers and Interpol – especially Barkley and his superiors – respond to the file becoming public. And yes, I will reveal exactly what was written in the file during the recap of next chapter, that I promise.  
**_ _ **Okay, see yah,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_


	11. The File Comes Out

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Good news. This story, like Dangerous Threats and, starting next month, True Family will soon be coming to an end. Like I wrote at the start of this story, there won't be any real mention of what will happen at Kaine Island as I have used that plotline in plenty of my other Sly Cooper stories and I felt done with it.  
**_ _ **This chapter will be about the report coming out and a little test before performed by the Fox Family and after that, I think the whole team will go on a little mission outside France, where – maybe – Sly will get in trouble, Carmelita will get him out and where Murray and Helena will probably grow closer together.  
**_ _ **However, I will either end the story with the mission or its aftermath, but I just don't think this story will go on for much longer. The reason? While Kitty Pedro really inspired me to write this story, did I never really think any further than just Carmelita joining the Cooper Gang and her starting her training as a Master Thief.  
**_ _ **That is my fatal flaw. I think of a million and one stories on a daily basis, but even when I put some of these ideas into actual stories, do I often, one way or another, catch myself with a complete blank on how to proceed once the main plans I had for it have been written out. However, just ending while I'm ahead sounds good too.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

It's been a tense couple of days since we managed our heist on Interpol and their topmost treasured secret and the reason they have been tense is because I have been anxiously awaiting whether or not Bentley could find any kind of newspaper or other form of news reporting system willing to show off the file to the crowds.  
Knowing the actual reputation that Interpol has as well as how closely it has once worked with the press – namely when it was used to name me a traitor to Interpol and cohort of the Cooper Gang – do I worry, slightly for Barkley's actual reaction and the aftermath that innocent officers will have to deal with, such as Barkley's superiors.

Cheren had assured me he had put the calling card with the message in plain sight and Guru had actually gone on a little spy mission the day afterwards, reporting back later and stating that several officers that I recognized as Barkley's Superiors had gone to the bank and had visited their solicitors and lawyers, making me feel better.  
What made things even better was something I had not yet known about, but that the Guru had been able to uncover during his little mission. Apparently the resignation of my whole family from the office had hit the news, yet not the full story. This had relieved me as it had given the superiors an excuse to leave on holiday.  
Of course, this itself had helped Bentley immensely as he had contacted one of the solicitors and asked him to send the file to the same papers as the one who would soon report the holiday-taking officials and their reasoning. The solicitor had been startled to be approached, yet he had also been gleeful in the idea to help along.

Now it's almost a week after the heist and two days since the solicitor agreed with Bentley's plan. The article about the whole group of Interpol Superior officers taking a break to recover from the shock of losing such fine officers – me and my family – had been yesterday and I just know that the article regarding the file will be today.  
Because of this am I very, very glad that Sly and his friends has agreed to put us all on similar little spy missions to the one Guru had been on earlier this week with the order to make reports on how various groups around Paris would respond to the news of their Security officers having such a shocking history.  
All of us are dressed in outfits that will allow us to blend in with the shadows and while Sly had been adamant that he and Bentley would take the more criminal side of Paris, had he still made good use of our talents in regards to where who of us should go as well as take into account where we used to work most frequently before resigning.

Mum had, naturally, been assigned to watch the few major hospitals in town as well as discreetly visiting a few local apothecaries and local pharmacies. Dad was to take a look at the sports fields and companies around the city. Helena was to scout out the stores and companies that create and distribute weapons and fighting equipment.  
Cheren was to join Murray in checking out fighting dojo's and other self-defense classes and I was to just go with Guru and scout out both the parks and the upper society rings as my previous position had often allowed me to walk amongst these groups of people and Guru would be able to mask our presence while out in the open.  
All in all am I certain that we have practically all of Paris covered and Sly's final orders before he had let us all leave the Hide Out from various spots was: "Keep your ear-communicators and your Binocucoms on you at all times. Take pictures and record conversations with the second if possible and report back when done."

The strength of his voice alongside the large, excited grin on his face had definitely awoken the adrenaline within both me and the rest of the family, yet there was one thing I couldn't help but notice just before I left and that was the sweet smile that Murray had send Helena before taking the wheel of his van and driving off.  
Helena had also noticed it and the two of us had giggled a little as little girls before sending each other a look that said _talk later_ before we had each made our getaway out of the hide out and out into the streets of a city I once vowed I'd protect with my life. Yet this thought doesn't bother me as instead, I can't help but think:  
"I am helping it. Thieves like Sly may make life harder for cops like Interpol, yet Interpol definitely doesn't have the sense of honor and justice that Interpol used to have, at least not anymore and not with everyone working there. This way, I am making sure that Interpol can fire the scumbags and hire some real staff."

And while I have no doubt that Sly has already thought of this himself, do I know my lover well enough to know that he just feels super excited about the idea of having someone replace me as a challenge to him and his job, while personally I just feel excited for the chance to help him keep out of their new law enforcer hands.  
"This is where I belong, with the man I love and the family I almost lost thanks to my so-called boss. I really need to find a way to get back with Urmilla and thank her for her help. Maybe Sly has something in his treasure trove that Urmilla can use for her next line. Or maybe I can disguise myself and offer myself as a model."  
And while these thoughts run through my mind do I hear Guru hiss: "Two readers at park. Beech tree." I nod at the man, refocus my thoughts and attention on the situation at hand and then use the skills I have been developing and bettering in the Hazard Room to get to the beech tree the Guru indicated while unnoticed.

We silently move through the branches together, Guru helping me as I sometimes try to land on a branch he is sure will either make a noise that will give me away or is too fragile for either of our weights to handle and when we reach the closest branches near the bottom of the tree, do we focus on our targets.  
A small white colored lamb with shockingly enough dark brown almost black-colored eyes and with a waitress' outfit on is sitting next to a large lion with amber brown eyes and a dark colored mane – of which parts look like a toupee or something – and the lamb is the one holding the newspaper as she says: "Leonard, listen to this.

 _It has been revealed today that the famous Interpol has a very criminal like history, one which the superior officers of the office are lucky enough to escape as they are currently on holiday to recuperate from their office having lost three very significant members, also known as the Fox family.  
_ _What is this criminal like history you may ask? Interpol was actually founded by three significant families – of which two are known today for their criminal history. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, officer James Barkley's ancestor worked together with the ancestors of Dimitri Loustreau, famous con-artist, as well as Master Thief Sly Cooper.  
_ _And while some of you may think: "Oh, two criminals worked together to make a justice system." Do I have to wonder two things. One, what were the intentions of James Barkley's ancestor when he decided on this. And two, does James Barkley work alongside his ancestor's more sinister intentions – maybe even with the Coopers themselves?  
_ _After all, it has been only a few years since James Barkley accused one of his own officers, the recently resigned Carmelita Montoya Fox, of being in league with the Master Thief who is a thorn in the side of practically every known criminal, but apparently is there more shocking news, which comes from the superiors themselves._

" _We were quite aware that something of sinister nature was going on with Chief Barkley as we were preparing a case against him in front of the Board of Inquisition and had the support of two other departments within our establishment, yet we have no desire to have our reputations dirtied by his or his ancestor's actions.  
_ _We commend both the Cooper and the Loustrea ancestor for caring about the citizens as ell as their own criminal activity and while we have no doubt that the Cooper Ancestor did it just to add a level of excitement and challenge to his own career, do we want to assure the crowds that a full blown investigation will commence upon our return.  
_ _We would also like to both negate and confirm the allegations that Carmelita Fox was once working for the Cooper Gang. She was not, yet after being bullied and harassed by her co-workers and accepted and loved by her supposed enemy, did the Fox and her family accept to, more or less, switch sides and fight justice in a different manner.  
_ _We have the official assurance that Carmelita Montoya Fox and her family will continue their tradition of taking down criminals and keeping the regular citizen safe from harm and if we of Interpol have to give up a few stolen paintings, jewels and other treasures for the sake of our civilians being safe, we will happily pay the price."_

 _And there you have it, folks. The last words left by the Superiors to their solicitors and lawyers. What does this mean for Chief Barkley? Was his ancestor aware that he was just playing into the hand of a playful master thief? And what of Carmelita Fox? Will she continue to bring honor to her reputation now that she works for a different boss?  
_ _Two things are certain. The motive for the Loustreau and Cooper Ancestors for creating Interpol are perfectly clear; the motive of the Barkley ancestor, not to much. The other thing that is certain is that, if Barkley and his family's reputation is as bad as we are currently led to believe, that the Superiors will be better off founding a new Interpol – and firing the harassing bastard!  
_ _Writing by Elliot Sindrom_

Can you believe that?" The little lamb asks her gaping friend and the look on the lion's face makes me feel exhilarated, do I press the ear-communicator and whisper: "Everyone, I just heard the entire article. It speaks of me, the superiors and Barkley. Interpol might get a little harassed, but Barkley will definitely be receiving the brunt."  
To which I hear several happy sounds and then Bentley says: "Carmelita, why don't you turn this batch of revenge full circle. Check on Barkley and take as many pictures as possible. Life yourself out, girl." And while this makes me want to squeal, do I hiss back: "Copy that Bentley." Before moving back to the top of the tree.  
I then leap out and through the rest of the park before climbing a three-story flat and while rushing across the ceiling on the tips of my toes to keep silent, do I hear Sly giving me a soft, caring order to remain careful and while I send him a sound of confirmation, do I happily rush for where I know my boss has his home.

The reason I know this is because, months ago, I had had a moment of weakness and had disguised myself as a punk teenager before completely befouling Barkley's home with private fluids, quick-drying paint, graffiti and the stuff left behind by dogs on a walk. Luckily enough had I kept out of camera view and thus out of trouble.  
There had definitely been one thing about the house that, at the time, had shocked me, but now I find this fact to be most convenient as Barkley seems to feel so confident of himself and his personal safety that his house is made up of an equal amount of glass windows as well as brick walls, allowing for people to look in from every angle.  
The house itself is a two-story house located in a suburban neighborhood, surrounded by a large garden that goes all round and that is separated from the next door neighbors by large willow, beach and apple trees, which are all situated next to a high white wooden fence that is as tall as a single story of the house itself.

The fence helps Guru and me to reach one of the trees and just when we have hidden ourselves in one of the willow and beach trees respectively, does a beautiful Pidgeon woman pass the street, which amazingly enough spurs Guru into an action I have yet to see him perform and which makes me even more amazed with his skills.  
The little purple koala dashes back across the fence and jumps onto the back of the unsuspecting woman, causing for a purple colored aura to flow around him as well as her head and for her soft orange eyes to turn glazed before he mutters something in his native tongue that makes her stretch her wings and fly up.  
And while I wonder what he could be onto, does he then mutter something else that makes the Pidgeon start to let out shrill noises that would have made me fall out of my position in the tree had I not been expecting him to do something and while she craws, does she fly over to scratch at one of the windows of the house.

This shocks and worries me, but then Barkley rages out and throws one of the windows open, the Guru moving the bird woman in such a way he is hidden from the badger's sight before he repeats this course of action at practically all the windows and to my shock, does Barkley seem too angry to reclose the windows afterwards.  
Instantly I pull out my Binocucom, feeling like kissing the small little koala and while Bentley asks: "Carmelita, are you okay? What's going on there?" Do I whisper back: "Guru is helping us listen in. I'm safe, don't worry." The turtle seems confused, but accepts my response and then I focus my Binocucom inside.

And luck is again on my side as my vision leads right into the living room of Barkley's house where the newspaper is lying across the arm of what I know is Barkley's favorite recliner chair – me knowing it because I often heard him brag of how expensive the damned thing was – and this sight makes elation rise within me.  
Barkley grumbles as he walks in, Guru having left the badger alone at this point and having dropped the poor Pidgeon on the sidewalk before resuming his own position, and the badger grumbles something about getting a restraining order against birds or something as he sets himself down into his seat and takes the paper.  
Here I have a lot of trouble holding my camera steady as my hand is trembling with elated excitement and to my enjoyment does it take Barkley only a single glance at the title of the head article before he practically hits the ceiling of his own house as his voice can be heard all across the street shouting: "WHAT IN THE DEVIL!"

This alone makes me steady my footing as I now have to slap my other hand across my lips to keep me from laughing and revealing myself and the man tears through the article, his face turning all kinds of shades, while I allow for the camera zoom in so much I can almost hear the muttering he does under his breath as he reads.

" _Criminal history … master thief … justice system … superior officers … level of excitement … founding a new Interpol? Harassing bastard?_ Who the heck does this Sindrom think he is? And wait? What the heck is this? _Barkley's second in command arrested for being a – a – a – a rapist?_ What are they talking about?"  
This part shocks me and makes me inch a little closer, my binocucom now aimed for the paper itself, yet because Barkley is with his front to me and has the paper open to the second page, do I only see the front page and back page articles and so instead of that, do I whisper: "More news has been found by Barkley. I'm recording it."  
I hear Bentley give a sound of recognition and listen as Barkley throws the paper away and ask: "I don't have second in commands who are rapists. Who does this reporter think he is? And where is he getting these so-called video files from anyway?" And with that does the badger retake the paper with a sense of furious interest as he reads:

 _Barkley's second in command arrested for being a rapist.  
_ _Can Interpol take anymore blows? Maybe with the help of the superior solicitors, but apparently these fine gents have hired a few secret agents of their own to dig up all the dirt that goes around within their own establishment before going on holiday to recuperate from whatever it is these agents have already found for them.  
_ _And what news it is, ladies and gentlemen. The secret agents not only managed to infiltrate Interpol and make a perfect copy of the contract that founded Interpol, they also managed to get several very sinister and illegal statements made by officers working under Chief James Barkley on both camera and voice recorders.  
_ _They have already send these records to the other divisions working under the Superior officers and the first file made said officers arrest a bat known as Gastrice Queensland, who had openly admitted to two other officers that he plans to rape former Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox upon her alleged return as an Interpol Officer.  
_ _As it has already been established that, like the Superior Officers, former inspector Fox is better off working elsewhere, do I feel confident in the statement that these desires of this little flying mammal will never come to pass. Still, I feel I must ask you, dear readers. Is this really the image you want your justice force to have?_

By now I have a heck of a lot of trouble keeping myself quiet and not betraying my position as I whisper: "Breaking off. I can't take anymore. This is too good. Leaving the rest to Guru." To which Bentley whispers: "Copy that. Return to base and good work. Hope you enjoyed yourself." And while I leave, do I think:  
"Oh Bentley, you have no idea." And while I know darn well that, for now I will have to keep working on keeping my emotions under a firm control, do I not feel the least bit guilty of not being able to do so right now. After all, what girl can't enjoy getting one over a man who has been tormenting her for several years straight.

* * *

 _ **And that is that!  
**_ _ **Do hope you liked the articles. They were a ton of fun to write and I will admit that Carmelita may have sounded a little OC at the end, but I really let her become – well, me – at that point and I felt I wouldn't have been able to keep myself hidden there any longer either. Heck, I would have broken down laughing way before then.  
**_ _ **Next chapter is the rest of the gang meeting at the hideout and discussing how they saw the other parts of Paris respond to the news. Needless to say, Barkley will be seriously bashed and so will his little second in command. The board of inquisition? Heck, Barkley's already in trouble with all of Paris, forget that meeting.  
**_ _ **Am I right or am I right,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits for this story's existence go to Kitty Petro**_


	12. Back To Urmilla

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **With this chapter we'll be going back to where this story originally began and, to be honest, I feel kind of stupid. Until the point where Carmelita though about the great Cobra designer, I kind of completely forgot she existed – which has become a serious issue with me for more than just this one story.  
**_ _ **Yes, there are various others written works of mine where I forgot about very important characters on a chapter basis. Heck, in Rituals and Reading, I forgot one of my favorite female characters even though she does play a large role in regards to the Gang and in Keyblade's Light I constantly forget about the Dream Eaters.  
**_ _ **You see my issue,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.**_

* * *

 _ **Two days later  
**_ _ **Urmilla's POV**_

The article that I read two days ago still has me in tears of glee and also makes me feel very happy that I got to help this wonderful little vixen take the first step on her road to freeing herself from this horrid monster of a Chief of Police and the fact that the Cooper Gang managed to help her with this just makes me feel all the better.  
I have also, ever since seeing the Gang leave with their five new members, been working very hard to actually include subtle hints of Sly and Carmelita's thieving outfits into my new Summer Collection and the fact that Master Thieves are now the news of the day just make me even more certain that my newest collection will be a hit.

Yet what I don't expect, as I walk through the hallways in the back of my warehouse, is to see said team of Master Thieves lounging against the outer wall of the one room where my cameras are off more often than on and this makes me actually look up from the clipboard with notes that I had been looking through as I walked.  
I move my slim, lean body to lean back on my tail and bend through the back of my knees as I stretch my neck and turn my head into the room, my eyes widening shortly when I see the nine of them and then move myself so that I can walk through the door as I happily say: "Sly, Carmelita, cherries, what are you lovelies doing here?"  
And the two of them, while standing very close together and while Sly has his arm wrapped around Carmelita in a one-armed hug, smile back at me as Carmelita says: "We came to see you, Urmilla, and to thank you for inspiring me down this path. If you hadn't decided to help me with my birthday plan, none of this would have happened."

And while I feel touched that the fox voices my earlier thoughts, do I giggle and softly run a hand through her braided hair as I say: "Oh Chery, it's like I said when I met you. Sly is like my brother and I do anything for family. And now, seeing how close you and him have grown in the time passed, I will happily include you in that."  
The vixen turns red at hearing this and then Sly pulls her closer and says: "Regardless of that, Urmilla, we have something to show you our appreciation. Murray made it with the directions and guidance of my lovely Carmen and her sister. Show her, big guy." And the Hippo happily shows me a small wrapped package.  
I happily smile at the careful, but powerful hippo, yet when I open the package, do my eyes widen when I see that there is an actual statue hidden under the paper that was wrapped around the gift and it is the actual statue itself that shocks me as it is a brown statue that shows me standing behind all of the Cooper gang.  
Yet while I stand behind them, do I have my tail wrapped around Bentley and Murray, who stand on one side of the statue and have my arms wrapped around Carmelita and Sly who stand on the other side with the Guru and the other members of the Fox Family standing between the four of them and the whole gang smiling.

The statue itself is gorgeously made and the way that Murray hasn't just captured the beauty that shows off of Carmelita in the outfit that I designed for her, but also the essence of how happy we all are when together and several outfits that the big guy seems to have created while making this statue make me speechless.  
I hug it close to my form and then use my tail to set it down on a large sturdy closet that stands just behind me before I hug the hippo and then, after that, all of the others as I say: "It is beautiful, thank you all so much. I really appreciate it." The others all smile at me and then Sly just absolutely makes my day and says:

"It was nothing. However, would this be a wrong time to ask for a new set of outfits for a future heist? One for the entire gang to join in on?" And instantly my eyes rove over all of the members of the Fox family as my mind develops ideas of what kind of outfits would fit them best and how to design each of these cloths.  
"What kind of mission are we talking about here, Sly Cherie?" I then ask, feeling a little bad as I move around the group and keep my eyes on the four members that I have yet to have ever designed anything personal for and Sly says: "We are expecting it to be cold. Bentley has picked up hints about something in the Himalaya."

At this I nod as that was something I had also heard thanks to a few private meetings I got to have with several high-society clients of mine and while imagining how each of these four – as well as the others – would look dashing, yet functional in thick cloths, do I happily start sharing the tidbits of info I got to gather as I say:  
"Yes, I heard of that too. A few of my clients were very informative of that. Apparently an earthquake caused for a new cave to have opened up, of which the very entrance part seems to have been littered with hidden gems. I even got two rubies that had been found by relatives of some of my more privileged clients."  
And while this seems to shock the four foxes, does Bentley ask: "So these rumors are legit? They are worth looking into on a heist?" To this I nod and say: "But you best hurry. The man who gave me the rubies is a politician and he plans a huge exploration in a fortnight from now to use all the treasures found to fund his campaign."  
"What kind of politician are we speaking of here, Urmilla?" Sly asks and while I hate having to work and design cloths for a man like him, do I hiss as I say: "One who believes he can give power to popular companies and factories, only to indebt them into constantly voting him into office, regardless of other parts of his agenda."

The Raccoon nods and says: "Only further reason for us to get our outfits, a few disguises and get to work as early as possible. Is there any reason the politician decided to wait a full fortnight?" To which I send him a sneaky smile that makes his laugh and he says: "I should have known. Thanks Urmilla, I can always count on you."  
I nod at him and then say: "I just need to know their weapons and how they use them and make a few security measures, just for perfect certainty, and then I should be able to have the full set within a week." The Raccoon nods and then sends a look at the Foxes, who had been fidgeting a little as I walked around them.

The four of them nod and then Carmelita joins them as they show me how they all actually have canes of their own. My eyes widen at this and then I witness how the four foxes move around with their canes, proving they have undergone several long hours of training to acquaint themselves with their weapons before I take action.  
First I move towards Carmelita and I look closely at her as well as the holster that holds her canes and her canes themselves before I turn to her parents with the happy notion that I tell her: "Thank you, darling, I will make some cane holsters that will be able to hold out against the heavy weather there for you, okay?"  
The vixen looks shocked at first, but then smiles and thanks me before I focus on each of her other family members, taking a close note of how the father is lean, yet with a lot of muscle showing under his lean form, how the mother can definitely move swiftly, yet seems dependent on her timid form at the same time.  
I observe how the brother of my newly appointed sister seems to be able to move in such a way she can grasp onto anything and make it happen and finally how the brother has the ability to switch between a rough hard punch and his arms moving in a self-protective stance with perfection and within a matter of seconds.

I nod at this, my mind coming up with which kind of fabric would work best with each of these very versatile mammals and then nod as I say: "Please come back in two days so I can have you try out a few test versions and if those fit you like I believe they will, I should be able to design all of these outfits and holsters very fast."  
The team nods and Bentley asks: "Could you make holsters for me, Murray and Guru as well, Urmilla? Or would that slow you down?" But I shake my head and say: "Perhaps give me another half a days' work, but it won't really matter. Don't worry, you will definitely be at that mountain cave before the politician."  
The turtle smiles at me and after I got a good look at all three of their canes, do they wish me a good day and leave through the window, Sly winking at me before he hits the camera activation button with one of his signature cards and while I happily pick it up – ready to burn it for safety purposes – do I start working on the design plans.

 _ **One week later**_

I thought I wouldn't ever feel more pride than I did for the outfit I designed for Carmelita with which she convinced Sly to help her and which led to her escaping a horrible pervert of a boss, yet just looking at these four outfits as well as the eight cane holsters I have been able to design, do I feel I have proven myself wrong.  
The outfits that stand on models before me – that I designed while listening to a designer song of a mare that stars in a very famous TV-show for kids, yet which I draw inspiration from due to said mare – are just amazing and while they may never sell in the outside world of high-society fashion, do I just know they will be a hit.  
"And let's face it, seeing Sly succeed on his missions is so much more rewarding for my personal sense of worth and pride than to see some high-class upstart prove himself superior to his peers in one of my designs that will – after a fashion show or two – just disappear down some factory so it can be created for the masses.  
Artists live for those who they can create unique and personalized styles for, not for something every Mary Sue and Daisy Green can wear on a daily basis." Goes through my head as I let some of the girls that helped me a few months ago now move the models to the special security room, yet when they get there, do I see it already populated.

The gang is already there and their eyes all widen in excitement as they see my designs, each of the foxes easily seeing which of the outfits is for who and just by the look of excited glee that I can see shine on their faces, do I feel as if I accomplished pure perfection for several new collections all in a single day.  
I then have the girls display the cane holsters and while even Sly seems amazed by the designs that I incorporated in each of them – a certain color to match each individual user as well as another to compliment the type of wood the cane or canes are made of – do I happily let the eight of them hand the holsters to their new owners.  
The two girls and their mother practically gush over their canes and Carmelita even makes my day as she exclaims how the holster looks like a perfect complimentary form to the one Sly owns – which was one of my secret desires while designing it – do the males all just smile happily as they put their canes in it and strap them on.

I then take a deep breath and say: "I worked long and hard on this and had I not already been done with my new Summer collection, I would have needed more time than I could have given you in regards to that politician, yet I am very happy with the results and I sincerely hope they will come to benefit you on your journey."  
To this everyone happily nods and smiles at me and then Sly says: "Urmilla, make sure you take a few days off once you have had your Summer Collection Fashion Show and we have returned from our hunt, cause once we've ascertained what is within that cave – we will be going back on a second journey to show you personally."  
And while this idea leaves me absolutely flabbergasted, can I easily see how the entire gang is behind this and under the gushing squeals of my girls do the team members pack up their new outfits in personalized travel bags and small pouches that are strapped to their person before they all dash out into the falling night.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that is that!  
**_ _ **Now, let me tell you – the idea of the future heist was NOT supposed to be in this chapter. However, while I really wanted to feature Urmilla in this episode, do I just not know enough about fashion and the designing of cloths to make for a proper chapter, so I decided to make it a filler with hints for future chapters.  
**_ _ **Next chapter will be the gang going on their plane for the Himalaya and maybe even their first scout-out of the mountain and the cave itself. As I already mentioned earlier, this story will end with the end of this upcoming mission and it will go wrong, yet in the end it will be the one who started all of this who will end this.  
**_ _ **Get my clue?**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Again, if you find any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling errors, please let me know.  
**_ _ **PPS. If Family Traditions is your absolute favorite, vote on it in my latest poll. Thanks.**_


	13. The Start Of A New Heist

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **I just want to offer you all my apologies for putting the notification of the poll in every single update last month. The reason I did so was because not everyone who reads Family Traditions also reads A Divine Hogwarts and not everyone who reads Rituals And Reading also reads Yami's and Hikari's, however the poll was important.  
**_ _ **Now said poll will be up until the end of the year and after that I will be focusing on two other polls; one about how the KH movies will be put into To Read And To View and the other on the challenges of Venquine's Mind that I came up with myself. Those polls will switch between each other for several months.**_ _ **  
Okay enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.**_

* * *

 _ **One Week Later  
Paris Airport, France  
**_ _ **Carmelita's POV**_

The Politician that Sly has decided to name our enemy on this heist leaves in one week, this due to his agenda having suddenly filled up with several high society and charity events – which Bentley arranged for him – and because of that, did Sly manage to get his hands on the politician's ticket as well as those of his crew.  
I have to admit pulling a stunt like that was definitely a genius move, yet I am a little less pleased on how this had to make us make another trip to Urmilla as Bentley had made it look to the crew of the airport that the politician only sent his crew, meaning that my family and I needed professional looking disguises.  
I really didn't like piling up even more work on Urmilla's shoulders, when she already had her new Summer collection to worry about, yet the giant cobra had been only too happy to serve us and had even played a bit of dress up with my mum, sister and me, something that had made the four of us giggle constantly.

Now we are standing in the airport, waiting to pass through security and I would be a liar if I didn't have a bit of nerves in doing this. Before all of this, all I had to do was show off my Interpol badge and the security would let me pass – be it with hungry eyes roaming my body – yet now I no longer have that luxury.  
And while I am well aware that Sly and the gang have done this over a million times – all the places where I formerly chased his ring-tailed ass being the proof of this – can I not help but worry about getting caught, especially because there is still a teeny tiny voice of justice whispering in my mind how wrong this is.  
"I'm just playing dress up." I whisper back mentally, yet the voice doesn't seem to believe me anymore than I do, yet while I hold a silent debate with it, does it suddenly get overwhelmed by a gruff male voice saying: "Enjoy your flight." And only then do I realize that I just went by security without issue.

Pretending to be grateful instead of flabbergasted is a little hard, yet I manage it and when meeting up with Sly and Murray, do I whisper: "I know you did this a thousand times, but I was sure we'd be busted, pretending to be someone of this high of a stature." Yet Sly smiles at me with his charming smile and whispers back:  
"First of, you know Bentley's talent as well as I, so stop worrying. Second, yes, the guys and I have done this a thousand times over – but we never used the Guru's talent to cast a little Mind Control magic on the cards. Not enough to control him, but more to make him think we're just an average set of colleagues on a business trip."

And while I am flabbergasted again and while the voice is trying to get louder, but failing, do we then pass another gate that worries me; the drop off of large bags of luggage. Personally I feel glad that I have a travel bag that can fit in the compartment above the seats, yet I am also well aware that we have too much to fit in there.  
Yet while I worry for us being found out thanks to the canner that scans any luggage put in the plane, do I feel shocked when we just easily pass the tube and moving platform and when I look around, do I see that all of my family and the rest of the gang actually only have the same kind of bags as I do, yet nothing else.  
I look around, wondering if someone in the gang is dropping off luggage or if this is another magic trick, but then Murray addresses an attendee of the airport and says: "Yes, Mr. Illegard has requested that the van he desires to auction off in Kathmandu is put into the cargo of the plane without any of the cargo within disturbed."  
And instantly I understand how it is possible for the gang to have constantly moved around the world with van and all as the worker nods and says: "I will inform the cargo crew. Could I have keys, please?" Yet Murray shakes his head and says: "There is a pulling hook at the front. Use that and stay outside of the van."

The attendee bows in acknowledgment and when we have passed her, do I whisper: "That was some well done acting there, Murray." Making the Hippo smile at me before he whispers: "Years and years of practice, Carmelita." Making me giggle as that had been a little obvious for the well trained eye and then we pass into the plane.  
And here my final concern gets put to rest as I am shocked to see that the entire part of the plane that is set up for first class is empty and then Bentley says: "You can thank our little politician for this. It was one of the reasons we decided to take his place on this plane." This makes me shake my head before I sit down and ask:  
"So we'll be safe from being caught until the plane lands?" Yet Bentley shakes his head and says: "We'll be safe all the way until we set up our hide out. When the politician decided to postpone his flight, I arranged for him to have his next flight from another air service as well as another airport, thus full coverage on all stages."

And while I am shocked at how well Bentley has everything covered, especially when it comes to our chances to get caught, does Sly then smile at me and ask: "Were you really that concerned that we could get caught, lovely? Wow, you sound like Murray when we first had to travel by more than just the van. Don't deny it, big guy."  
Here the Hippo playfully glares at his leader and then Sly says: "Murray had been adamant for years that we only travel by the van that he purchased shortly after we left the orphanage, yet when we went after the Fiendish Five, we had to get to America and that required a journey across the pond, thus travel by other means.  
In the end we got to go by cargo ferry and Murray had been so worried about his van, which had been in the bottom of the ferry, that we had to lock him in our cabin with Bentley working on the door to make it soundproof cause else he would have revealed us and spilled our secrets." Here I cringe and then Murray shrugs as he says:

"Heh, I just wasn't the Murray back then yet. That didn't really come until we heard of how Clockwerk had actually survived the battle at the volcano. The biggest reason I changed that was because I had been tricked into several traps in the first journey and I just felt I had to be able to contribute to the team."  
Here I can only nod with a large smile as I really respect the Hippo for his loyalty for the team as well as his determination to be there for his friends and while it reminds me of what I was willing to do for the sake of my beloved, do I share a happy smile before we focus on how the steward is telling us how to prepare for takeoff.

 _ **20 hours later**_

The journey was definitely a hectic one, even if it wasn't because of any turbulence or anything like that. It was more because – now that the team was so much bigger than before – there was more chance for conversation and while we made sure to keep it to political stuff when stewards were around, did we still have fun.  
Also, thanks to us having the whole first class section to ourselves, did we get the chance to make it so that, when one of us wanted to rest, they would just go to the very front of the section while the rest of us would just speak in hushed tones for the time the person was resting, me and my sister having done this for most of the trip.  
Both of us had been quite worried about the numerous situations in which we had a chance to get caught and – because the flight had been early morning – had the worrying tired us out quite badly and we had whispering our own relief to the other before we had hugged and turned ourselves down for a few hour nap.

By now we have been in India for about two hours and have managed to get the van past the security of the airport before we made for a quick getaway from the city we had landed in and made our way to the one of the highest groups of mountains in the world. I myself am sitting back to back with Sly and feel excited to be here.  
"Your first actual foreign heist. Maybe not one against any actual enemies, but it still ought to be a memorable one if the many rumors are true, especially the ones being shared over Thiefnet." Here I nod as I smile at him and he smiles back through the rearview mirror hidden in his sunshade before we spend the rest of the journey quietly.

When we get to the mountains do I feel a new reason for concern coming up as it seems as if Murray has lost sight of regular pathways, which is what Bentley will need to set up camp, yet the big Hippo seems ignorant to this as he asks: "Will that be big enough for all of us, Bentley?" As he looks up the mountain through his front window.  
Bentley moves over to the front of the van and seems to examine what Murray has seen and then he says: "It has a good chance to work, Murray. It has a room for our team actions, it seems to have two more large rooms which we can use to sleep in and I think I can spot a simple and small bathroom in there too. Yes, it should do."  
This makes Sly smile as he gets out of his car and says: "Great. Okay gang, your first practice drill outside of the hideout. Let's see who of you can get up to that hideout the quickest. I will study you all to see how well you are in both your climbing skills, your speed and – most importantly – your ability to be stealthy."

This makes my family and me look out the window ourselves and the steep height of the mountain we are next to – the tip of the mountain shrouded in layers of ice and several mountains – shocks us not even as much as when we see the small bit of mountain that bends off of the main mountain with a single shack at the tip of this one.  
The shack itself is one story with a single room build on top of the middle of the roof and a bit of the building is built into the mountain, while the rest of the cabin is placed onto a structure made of metal plates and wooden bars. The cabin itself looks a little rundown, yet the structure it is standing on looks as if it was build yesterday.  
"That will definitely be a challenge." Dad mutters, but then Bentley hums as he says: "It'll be more of a challenge to see about hiding that place. It isn't very well known, but the cave can actually be seen from the windows in the room on the roof. We'll need to see about camouflaging that place before anyone else comes here."

To this Sly snickers and asks: "So, is anyone of you coming up here or do we need to find a different hideout?" And only then do I realize that he is hanging from one of the few trees growing on this side of the mountain, a huge grin on his face and Bentley scoffs before he suddenly activates the rocket boosters under his wheelchair.  
The turtle flies his wheelchair a few feet up the mountain, while I then notice Murray taking the Guru on his back before he takes a sturdy part of the mountain and starts to climb. This makes my family and I share a look and while I can't help but compare this to what I used to do when on mission for Interpol, do I start to climb.  
Using both my gloved hands as well as the canes on my back to climb up the mountain as well as use the trees and outstretched rocks as either leverage to get up higher in a faster pace as well as platforms to stand on for a few minutes and like this do I climb, land, observe where I can best go next and then repeat the process.  
Like this does it actually only take me 8 minutes and 47 seconds to get to the front door of the shack and while Sly and co are already there, am I shocked to realize that I am the only one of my family to have reached the part of the structure that functions as a small front porch, one that is only 4 inches deeper than Bentley's wheelchair.

"Well done, love. Looks like all of the adventures we've had together have definitely paid off. Can I be honest with you, though, I really worried that all of our months of basic training would make your other abilities become rusted." Sly tells me and I smile at him as I say: "To be honest, that worried me too – well, a little."  
And while the man happily wraps his arm around my shoulder, do the Guru and Murray leave the cabin while Bentley extends his mechanical arms, do Sly and I wait for my family to come and once they have, does Sly ask: "Helena and Marcus, could you stay out here and help the others cover up the hideout when Murray comes back?"  
The two nod and then Sly turns to my brother and mum and says: "Cheren, Sophia, please go inside and decide which room will be for boys and which will be for girls. In the meantime Carmelita and I will turn this place upside down and see if former owners have left anything – interesting – behind for us to find."  
And just the way that his fur bristles with glee and the way that his tail flicks around him as he says this makes it easy for me to share in his excitement and the rest of that day is spend finding old goods, getting some dinner done and heading for bed. And as I lie my head down on my pillow, do I feel super excited for this new mission.

* * *

 _ **Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Well, this chapter might just be the second to last or maybe even the third to last. I can't say for sure, but I can say that the whole mission won't be able to fill up three full chapters, at least not if you don't want chapters of three pages or less. Because of this, do I think I will divide the rest of the mission into two parts.  
**_ _ **One part will be a follow up from this chapter and will concern the start of the mission and the good part and the other will be about the mission going wrong as well as the end of the vision. Now there is a chance that this story will get a HP-Cannon like epilogue, but the whole thing will depend on what will happen at the second half.  
**_ _ **Okay, have fun,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.**_ _ **  
**_


	14. Mountains And Hunches

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **So, as you can obviously see, I have changed the title of the story from Family Traditions to A Thief At Heart. The reason for this is because I no longer felt as if the title fit the actual story. The original story plan was for Sly to teach Carmelita the traditions and ways of his family, yet that story line just went nowhere.  
**_ _ **Because of that did I feel that this story was better off ending in between now and a few chapters and after rereading the whole thing, did I decide that a title describing how well Carmelita transfers from being a cop to being a Master Thief and how she admits to her heart's desire was just a better concept for the title.  
**_ _ **Thus A Heart Of A Thief was born and while I wish that it could have lasted longer as this is one of my stories that I got inspired to write thanks to a fellow fanfiction writer, do I still promise to make sure that the story will have a proper ending as I really hope to do Kitty Petro proud with what she inspired me to write.  
**_ _ **Have fun,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.**_

* * *

 _ **The next day  
**_ _ **Carmelita's POV**_

Scavenging the cabin for possible goodies and treasures had been a lot of fun and we had found a good 60 bucks on all kinds of foreign coins and euros as well as a golden watch, a miniature version of the Eifel Tower and a purse that had actually brought the cop in me back out as it had been filled with pictures of a man and his family.  
Sly had promised me he would leave the purse at the airport once we go back, yet after all these years do I know him well enough to know that the purse will still contain the pictures – but will probably be empty of cash and other impersonal valuables – yet this assurance had helped me push down on that part of me once again.

That night Sly had pulled me apart after dinner and had shocked me as he said: "Carmelita, just because you are now a thief, doesn't mean you can't have your cop-like sense of justice." This had shocked me and he had told me: "The difference between a Thief and a Master Thief is that the latter only steal from other criminals.  
This man – as far as we know – is no criminal, so no matter how much I would love to take this sweet cash, I won't do it, because this man is just another civilian. Yes, sometimes when the level of criminal activity is at a low, we do steal from civilians, but the underworld of society will always be our main target.

And you may now be part of that, but that doesn't mean that you should change all that you are. You and I were the same in that even before you made the switch, so don't try changing that now that you are on our team, okay?" At this I nod and smile at him, happily kissing him on the cheek before he had taken his leave.  
Yet while he had tried whispering it under his breath as he walked away, had I still heard him mutter: "Great Ancestors, I want her so bad." Before he had closed the door behind him and I had been required to remain where I was as the cold mountain air was the only thing that helped me calm down my heated form and needs.

Now it's the next morning and I am back in the shack and see that Bentley has gathered the rest of the Gang around a small table in one of the rooms. I move over and Sly happily moves me to stand beside him as Bentley coughs and says: "Okay, now that everyone's here – and awake – we can start our first meeting of this Heist."  
And while I look at where he looked when we made the little side comment, do I see Cheren send him a playful glare before Bentley says: "We are currently at the North-Eastern part of the Himalaya mountains, are only a few feet under the border where oxygen becomes near too dense to breath and are well hidden by our shack.  
Now, we know that the Politician is coming here sometime next week so we will have more or less one week to scavenge as much of the cave and – preferably – the mountain itself as possible, find out if the rumors of hidden treasures are indeed true, avoid other potential scavengers and get any possible treasure back to Paris."

And instantly the same kind of concern as what I felt yesterday comes back to me and while part of me hates the idea of questioning my team, can I not help but speak up and ask: "Uhm, Bentley?" And the Turtle smiles while opening a screen on his wheelchair and says: "Virtual Reality." Which only causes to confuse me as he says:  
"I have installed a small device in the back of the Van that will hide our potential treasure under a cover of virtual reality. That way we can just take the plane back and get home quick enough that we can avoid possible dangerous border controllers or even the chance of making the cops suspicious of our involvement."  
Here I turn red, but then Bentley smiles at me and says: "Still, thanks for speaking up, Carmelita. I was wondering to myself if I didn't need to check the device and now I feel confident that I need to do so. Now, why don't we go and discuss the plans for our first mission?" And I smile at my friend before I nod and the turtle says:

"Always helpful to have two cautious minds instead of one. Now, the main objective of this first mission is this level of the mountain, the level of the cave itself and everything above it, yet nothing above the oxygen level. The goal will be to check out at least the exterior of the cave and find potential escape routes.  
At the current moment we only know of the newly discovered entrance and all of the mountain that we can see from this shack. Because of that would I like to divide you all into two groups of four and then for both groups to start scavenging around the mountain from both sides. And while you do so, make sure to take equipment with you.  
I have already prepared several small camouflage cameras and set them ready to be taken with you guys. You will find them on the table next to the door. Take them with you and search the entire mountain from the height of the cave itself to higher and make sure you place them at strategic places and or possible exits."

Here we all nod and then Bentley says: "Okay, Cheren, Sophia, I would like you to go with Sly and Carmelita and I would like Murray and Guru to go with Helena and Marcus. Scavenge the mountain, place the cameras and make sure you take your most vital equipment with you." This confuses Helena and she asks: "Our Canes?"  
Yet I shake my heads at this and say: "Our Binocucoms, so you can see any possible hidden spots or locate things through heat vision or otherwise that our eyes can't." And Bentley smiles at me before sending a really strange smile Sly's way, yet my beloved doesn't seem freaked out by it as he only winks back.

A few minutes later have both our teams found the cave and have Cheren, Murray, Guru and Helena worked together to map out the entire front entrance, to which Sly asks: "You getting all of this, Bentley?" And in my own ear I can hear the turtle answer: "Now that I am back from checking VRT, yes, yes I am, Sly."  
And while I shake my head at this, already enjoying just the start of this mission thanks to how the team works together, do I press my own communicator and ask: "See anything unusual?" And while Sly smiles at me in pride, does the turtle say: "Just a second – my infra-red spots three holes further down the size of the Guru.  
One of the teams should be able to find one of them on the right side of the cave while the other should find the other two on the left. Just do know that all of them – heh, interesting, all of them are located halfway up the ceiling. Looks like you'll have to do a bit of climbing when you find them. Make sure to video the entrances."  
"Copy that, Bentley, Sly and I will take the Eastern side while dad can take Helena, Murray and Guru down the Western side. If there really are two there, they'll have more use of Guru than we would with just our one." And after Bentley compliments me for the idea, do I smile at dad and the man happily salutes before leaving.

Only for me to realize that I am treating all of this like an Interpol Assignment. Instantly I turn red and look at Sly in utter guilt, yet the Raccoon shocks me as he pulls me close and kisses me with great passion, making me almost weak with amazement before he whispers: "I cannot believe that joke actually came true."  
Making me tilt my head confused before Sly shrugs and says: "Call me an old sap, my gorgeous, but long before you joined our Gang, the guys and I sometimes envisioned what it'd be like if you were on the team and we – more or less – agreed between us that you would be Co-Leader were that chance to ever occur.  
We never expected it back then, but when you did join, we only needed a glance between the three of us for us to accept the truth behind that statement. It was meant as a joke as we really never expected this twist of fate, yet it happened and we couldn't be happier." This alone makes me blush and smile and then I say:

"Let's go find that exit and record it." Sly nods and with mum and Cheren behind us, do we start to move about the right side of the mountain leading to the cave, yet after leaving the path that actually took us to the mountain itself, do I feel very, very glad that we didn't let Murray take this side of the mountain for a new reason.  
Where people who hear Himalaya would probably expect several huge, sturdy mountains that just grow apart the deeper into ravines they go, is this part of the mountain side actually something that looks like it came straight out of some RPG or Adventure Game that Cheren and I grew up playing ever since we were little.  
There is not a single bit of straight and flat surface, except for a few ledges and small, thin mountains that are stacked together like a parkour course or something and most of the mountain wall is actually a combination of trees, bushes and small caves that have obviously been dug out by animals that came to either mate or hibernate.  
"Murray would have never been able to cross this. The platforms are much too fragile to hold his weight. Even we will have to be slick and fast if we don't want those platforms to crumble." Cheren says shocked and I quickly look around before leaping to a nearby tree and planting one of the cameras between the branches.

"HOLY SARSPERILLA! Carmelita, where are you guys?" I hear Bentley scream in my ear as I must have activated the connection function of the camera and while I try to position the device so that it will be sturdy and stuck between the branches as well as have a perfect view of the landscape before us, do I answer:  
"About ten minutes away from where the cave is. Looks like we'll have to call this side our Last Chance Escape Route." Here I hear Bentley hum in agreement and he says: "Make sure to put a few more there, I want to see if there are routes that are split from that route. Perhaps I can find something to lead to the van."  
And while I like this possible Getaway plan, do I then stick my head out of the tree, now feeling confident thanks to Sly's earlier explanation and say: "Cheren, Bentley wants to see more of this part of the mountain. Think you can cross the platform and find a tree or two or a bush on the other side to equip?" And my brother happily nods.

Then Sly speaks up and says: "I hate doing this, mi señora magnífica, but this entire mission relies on stealth and speed. I'll go and take Sophia to the other side of the platform and see if we can find that Emergency Exit." And Cheren and I nod before Sly proves his brilliance as he lifts mum up and moves across the platform.  
From slim, flat mountain top to pillar shaped mountain top, to a small edge at the side of the mountain that he dashes across on only his toes, to a couple of trees and then suddenly safely on the other side of the platform, setting my mum back down, yet also holding onto her as she had obviously not been expecting that much brilliance.

Mum regains her footing and Sly gives me and Cheren a two-fingered salute before he and mum vanish around a small side corner of the mountain and out of sight. I personally share a smile with Cheren and then hear Bentley say: "Just tilt the camera a little more to the South East and I'll have a perfect view, Carmelita."  
"Copy that, Bentley. Can you see any other places you would want me to place cameras at?" I ask him and he answers: "Just on the other side the path. You seem to be on the right of it now and if Cheren can place one on the left and right from where Sly just saluted you, I should have perfect view on that entire area."  
And Cheren replies in confirmation before he bends down and like the athlete he always was at school and Interpol Academy, does he sprint across the platforms, using some of the branches of the trees to swing from and dashing across a few more ledges with Sly's levels of perfection, to which I can hear Bentley exclaim amazement.

"Yeah, he was always like that." I happily tell the turtle over our communication and then Cheren says: "I got this side covered, sis. You go and find Sly and mum once you've finished your side, okay?" I give him a thumb's up and after hearing confirmation from Bentley that my camera is in place, do I continue.  
I move back to the path and then take a quick look around my surroundings, before smiling as I see a small crevice of rock sticking out of the mountain just a few feet above the edge of the path that is covered by some weeds. I jump high and grab onto a tree branch that hangs down a little way above it and place the camera.  
Yet I frown as the camera swirls, the lens aiming at the rock itself and I try to reset it so that it will gaze out over the platform, yet it does the same thing and this time, as I retry the repositioning, do I hear Bentley say: "Wow, wow, wow, Carmelita wait." And I stop, the camera in my hand and I let go off it to tap my communicator.

The camera again slides its lens into the wall, only then it vanishes and my eyes widen as I ask: "A – a hidden cave?" And Bentley remains quiet for a minute before he says: "Not just a hidden cave, Carmelita, but evidence that there will indeed be treasure found in that cave. Stick your hand in." And I tentatively follow his order.  
The cave itself feels dusty and I feel at least one or two spider webs passing and getting stuck in my fur as I reach in, yet just when I think that I have lost the camera, do I feel its metal form – together with something else. I look in curiously, grasp onto the other item with two fingers and pull both of them out of the cave.  
Only for my eyes to widen as I am holding a gorgeous bit of sapphire in between my fingers, the stone slightly dangling on top of the camera and I ask: "Wait – is this?" And Bentley answers: "A hidden stash. Yes indeed. Good work, Carmelita." And I smile at him and put the sapphire into my pocket before getting back to work.

Taking a few bits of rope out of my pocket, do I tie the camera lens first into the cave and then tie another one to the back of it and angle it so that it has a perfect view of the platforms and then Bentley asks: "Eh Carmelita, why a camera on the jewels?" And I answer him with a large smile: "Just call it a hunch, Bentley."  
And the turtle hums in acceptance before he tells me to go join Cheren and the others. I then look at Cheren, who seems to have just finished how own placing of the two cameras and while I move across the platform, do my eyes focus on two things at the same time; the path I am taking as well as any other possible crevices.

I notice at least one or two more and the fact that each of them have a small tree and a bit of bush or weed covering them makes me feel quite confident of my hunch and when I reach the other side, does Cheren give me a happy, proud smile before we both hurry on and move past the rest of the path over to where Sly and mum are.  
And when we reach them, are we only a few minutes earlier than Murray, Guru, dad and Helena, making me realize that the platform stretches across way more of the mountainside than I expected and when everyone has arrived, does Sly ask: "So, what was your side like? We had a natural practice platform on ours."  
And Murray answers: "Our side actually has another one of the high mountains very close against this one. We actually had to climb onto a higher level of the other mountain for a while because our path had ended on this one. It's not too dangerous, but there were definitely parts on the path that were almost too slim for my girth."  
Sly nods, a confident, but understanding look on his face and he asks: "How many cameras did you place?" And dad answers: "Seven. A few at parts where the mountain splits between going up and down and a few at where the path of one mountain ends and the path of another begins. We thought it would make latter parts easier."

"Good thinking, guys. And Carmelita, you willing to share your hunch with us now?" Bentley then asks us all through the communicator and I answer: "This may sound strange, but – I don't think the treasure will be in the cave where we began our mission." The others all look at me and I ask: "Did your side have any hidden crevices?"  
Here the other team looks thoughtful and Helena says: "Describe _hidden_." And I say: "Covered by either a bit of weed, carved into the mountain in a very crude way and with a small tree hanging just above it." To this Helena nods and then dad says: "I think we came across five or six of those. You think there's a reason?"  
To which I nod and say: "I'm not sure if I'm right or just guessing, but I think the stone that was found by the guy who found this cave was just a bit of nature letting go from the mountain itself. I think the treasure that might have been left by whoever might at one point have lived here – is hidden in those little crevices and caves."  
This shocks the others and then Sly asks: "So you think there is a natural treasure in the mountain cave and possibly stolen treasure in all these crevices?" At which I nod and Sly's smile turns truly adventurous before he says: "Well, didn't this mission just turn a whole lot more exciting?" And all of us smile at him in total agreement.

* * *

 _ **And that is that.  
**_ _ **Now, I will be honest with you all, the crevice thing was very, very much unplanned. I had a bit of a storyline planned out, which would lead to Sly getting in trouble within the cave at the end of the mission, yet the excavation mission took a life of its own and as it did, did I realize one little vital aspect of this scenario.  
**_ _ **The cave had been found by some random person, yet the mountain itself is practically unlivable, so the chance of a civilization or tribe or otherwise once having lived there is a little small and the idea of some late criminal having left bits of his treasure in such inhabitable area just sounded a lot more believable.  
**_ _ **Okay see yah,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.  
**_ _ **PPS. Translations are back, finally:  
**_ _ **Mi señora magnífica is Spanish for My Gorgeous Lady.**_


	15. Treasure And Troubles

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **So this may or may not be the final chapter of the story. I am sincerely not sure as I do know that I have a plotline – namely to have a member of the team get in danger during the whole transferring of the treasure – but how it will happen now that there is more treasure to be gained outside the cave than inside I am not sure.  
**_ _ **I may cause a bit of trouble for each of the characters or I will cause major danger for one of them and then have another of them become an unexpected hero – my favor for that would be either Carmelita or her siblings. Personally, I think I am going to go with a bit of a mix, but I do think I can be sure of either of two things.  
**_ _ **Either this chapter will just sum up how the team spreads out to get their treasure and then ends with either one or all of them being in either a lot or small bits of danger and then next chapter will be about either that one person getting saved or they themselves solving the issue – or this will turn into one SERIOUSLY long ending.  
**_ _ **Well, we'll see,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.**_

* * *

 _ **The next day  
**_ _ **Carmelita's POV**_

We all took different pathways back to where Bentley was waiting for us in the shack and all drained ourselves of our last cameras in whatever little cave or crevice we could find and while with some of them Bentley asked us to go back as there was nothing in there, did we still stumble upon several more small piles of treasure.  
And with each pile did I feel more and more excited for this whole mission, while at the same time I could almost feel the giddiness over getting his hands on all this estranged gold growing inside my partner and the other leader of the gang as Sly had been almost bouncing when he re-entered the cabin at the end of the trip back.  
Bentley, however, had managed to calm him down by saying: "Easy there, Sly, the gold's not in the van yet, remember?" And it had instantly brought back the Cooper Gang leader, Sly turning strong and serious once again and nodding at his friend before we focused on having some dinner and getting ready for bed.

Now I feel ready. Ready to take on this task and to get the gold that we found stashed in all those crevices near that crazy platform, yet as we all re-enter the living room, can I barely believe how much it has changed overnight and do I very much worry over whether or not Bentley even thought of going to bed last night.  
Video screens of each and every camera that we have hidden around the mountain is plastered against every wall and even slightly tilted at where the walls meet the ceiling. The couches and benches have disappeared and the only piece of furniture is a table that is practically dying under a mountain of papers and maps and diagrams.

"Is he always like this?" Cheren asks, his eyes probably just as wide as mine and Sly says: "When he's as excited as I am, yes." Making Helena giggle and Bentley send my partner a glare, which loses its actual ferocity thanks to the heavy bags I can clearly see under his eyes and I say: "Sleepy glares don't scare Sly, Bentley, you know that."  
And the turtle groans before he says: "Just get yourselves over here so we can start with the mission." And we all move over to the table as Bentley just shoves at least 90% of the diagrams, maps and other bits of paper off the table and then activates one of his wheelchair computers as he says: "I have done a lot of research and think I have a plan."

Yet dad seems not to care for this as he says: "You can call yourself so lucky none of us are Auditors, Bentley, cause that would be considered a paper-waste crime right there." And Bentley groans again before he says: "I copied the papers into my computer. Now, I have studied the cave, the mountain and all of our powers and abilities.  
Based on that do I believe I have come up with a plan where we can all work with 100% efficiency, get all of the gold that is hidden all over the mountain, not get spotted and still get all of this done, on a plane and back in Paris long before that crazy politician can even get here. However, full force and skill will be required. Do not lose focus."  
Here we all nod and then Bentley lets the diagram he has been using rise up so that it becomes a virtual 3D-model on the table and he says: "Murray, you and Guru go into the cave. I want the Guru to use his climbing skills and his experience with caves to scavenge the inner parts, while you punch the gems at the entrance out."  
"Gotcha. This is going to awesome working alongside you, Master." The big hippo says as he helps the smaller panda onto his arm and then Bentley says: "Cheren, I want you and Carmelita – sorry Sly – to take the challenging course on the right side of the mountain. Your skills in athletics should make that the easiest for you both."

My brother and I nod at him and then I decide to reveal a little secret that we of the Fox Family are infamous for and say: "Plus, the Fox Family has been born with extra thick tails that can actually store whatever we want as our fur hair is much more sturdy and full on our tail. It's been a trait that has passed down several generations."  
The others look shocked and then Cheren laughs and says: "Yeah, I used to hide all these stashes of cookies and chocolate in my tail for days on end, especially when mum and dad were out and we were being babysat. That Endromella really didn't know how to cook with flavor, let me tell you that." And Helena and I shudder in agreement.

Bentley shakes his head and says: "Either way, Sly, I want you and Helena to take the other side. As Murray already showed, that side of the mountain will require movement between different heights of platforms and because Helena can make something out of anything, I believe her variability can help this side better than athletics."  
"Thanks, Bentley, I just hope Carmelita won't start to believe that I am planning something with her sister. Sorry Helena dear, but my heart belongs with your better sibling. Just kidding with you, sis." And while my sister sends a raised eyebrow at my laughing partner do I personally suppress a blush at his last insinuation.

"So what are our jobs, Bentley?" Dad asks and Bentley says: "It might not sound like much, Marcus, but I need you to gather everything the rest is collecting. The less they have to carry, the more they can collect and the faster they can move. And the faster they can move, the less days it will take us to empty this entire mountain clean."  
Dad nods and says: "That sounds like just the job for me. Thanks Bentley." And the turtle gives him a relieved smile, obviously in the belief that dad would consider this job below his standards or something and then he says: "Helena, your job is a little similar, yet I just –." Yet mum interrupts him and says:  
"Switch between the three teams and see whether or not they need some medical aid. Don't worry, Bentley, I already packed half of my bags with all the medical supplies I could snatch out of the local black-market pharmacies and hospitals before we even left for this trip." And that statement causes total silence to ring through the cabin.

"You – you stole medical supplies – from the black market pharmacies?" Bentley asks and Sly asks: "Do you have any idea on how hard that is? I get nearly caught every single time I try that. It's like they're expecting me." And mum smirks as he says: "They are – but they never expected me, which made it easy to do."  
We all look at her shocked for a few more minutes and then Bentley says: "That's it, from now on, Sly and Sophia share supply gathering duty before we leave for new missions, especially medical supplies." And Sly nods, his eyes still wide as he looks at my mum and I think: "Take that for calling my sister yours, Sly Cooper."

Then Bentley recovers from his shock and says: "Okay, everyone, you got your orders, you know what to do. I'll stay here and keep an eye out through the cameras. Now go and fill the Cooper Vault." And instantly all six of us happily scramble for the door, my brother and I giggling as we head over to the platform area.  
Once there do we take another good look around and Cheren says: "You know what? I think I'll take care of whatever is hidden around the platform. You know, whatever isn't cleaved into the mountain through the small crevices. I'll just leave those to you and once I'm done – I might just check if those platforms don't have stuff to hide."

This makes me look down at how thin and wobbly some of the platforms look, yet some of them definitely look stable enough to have at least one small cave hidden somewhere inside them and I say: "Not a bad idea – just make sure you're careful." And Bentley says: "Very careful. I doubt your mum wants to revive you from a nasty fall."  
Here Cheren cringes and says: "Yeah, last time she had to do that, she really wasn't happy." At this I feel like facepalming and say: "Last time she had to do that, you tried jumping between two trees standing in our backyard.""Hey, I was sure the storm from the night before had made them bent over and be closer together.  
 _And I was nine!_ " He exclaims, but then Sly sounds over the ear communicators and says: "As amusing as that sounds, maybe we should do more scavenging and less daydreaming, guys." And my brother and I share equal hues of red before we chorus: "Got it." And start scavenging the parts Cheren says we can perform best at.

 _ **At the cave  
**_ _ **Murray's POV**_

Hearing Cheren and Carmelita bicker had definitely been a lot of fun and I had actually pressed my ear communicator to full receive their conversation when I heard Cheren make his comment about the last time his mum had to patch him up from a bad fall. Sly's kind admonishment had been like the cherry on top of a delicious funny sundae.  
"Hikocha immibi hereh. Heheheh." My master then says and thanks to months of studying under him I understand his native tongue and say: "Yeah, it's always a lot of fun to hear siblings bickering. Adding Cheren, Helena and Carmelita to the team was a genius move. They really liven up the hideout, whether they're arguing or otherwise."  
Then the master turns to the deeper parts of the cave and says: "Fururda jeutst o thethin." And I turn a little red as I say: "Yeah, Helena is definitely the uh – well – I get why Sly likes the Fox Family so much. And why he wanted Carmelita so badly. At least, now that I met Helena I do." And my master smiles at me as he says:

"Thuruoh Tshecka." Before jumping, moving his body to be plastered against one side of the cave and scurrying deeper inside, his Moonstone on top of his new cane lighting the path for him, yet diminishing from my sight the further he gets and while I turn my focus back on my own mission, do I mutter to myself:  
"Live your dream. Heh, might not be a bad idea. Hey, maybe I can find a gem that can relate to how I feel about Helena and then give it to her as a present for a first foreign mission well done. That would be awesome." And with that do I happily jump up and move myself to roll up into a huge ball before bouncing down.  
Focusing my whole form on when I land and then pressing my body against the ground as hard as I can before releasing this pressure allows me to jump back up and like this, in ball shape and bouncing harder and faster with each time I hit the floor – and after a few jumps the ceiling – do I start to shake this part of the cave.

 _ **Left side the Mountain  
**_ _ **Sly's POV**_

I'm quite sure the others had pressed their ear communicators when Cheren had made his comment on his last deep fall accident and so I had kept my own communicator pressed after admonishing Cheren and Carmelita and while I can only imagine how cute my foxy lady must look, do I also feel intrigued by what I hear from Murray.  
"Murray – wants to give me – one of the gems he will find?" Helena asks shocked and I smile at her as I say: "It might be best if you don't tell him that you know. Don't worry, I already disabled both of our communicators from being overheard by Murray or Carmelita. As much as I love her, I don't want her voice to distract me."  
And Helena giggles as she asks: "Still struggling with those instincts, are you?" Yet this shocks me before she rolls her eyes and says: "Sly, I practically trained Cheren to be able to fight whatever enemy came at him. I studied as many different kinds of animals for his training and yes, raccoons were amongst them.  
I even once made him practice against me as I pretended to be a raccoon in instinctual rage over the belief he had hurt my mate. I know how raccoons behave and how their instincts work, so I was onto you and Carmelita the whole time. Though it was Carmelita's show of instincts that first made me notice the signs, really."

This makes me turn a little red and I then distract myself by studying the mountain side Murray had taken the other day. And he had not been joking. The mountain next to this one definitely is a lot more rough looking and has quite a few edges sticking out, making the pathway quite the challenge, yet still more sturdy than the platform.  
There is also more greenery around here and I mutter: "I'm willing to bet a lot of that greenery hides treasure." And Helena answers: "Murray and I definitely found a lot in grotto's that were near the roots of all those smaller trees, though we need to be careful with those. A few of them have scorpions guarding the treasure."  
This makes me grimace, but then I smirk and say: "Not to worry, Bentley equipped my smoke bombs with a bit of tranquilizer. We already believed we could run into wildlife in this massive middle of nowhere, so he equipped my equipment to the brim in case I would have to take the lead in multiple missions or something."

Helena nods and asks: "So Sly, any reason you called me sis back there. Carmelita sure seemed to think so." At this I fight down on the blush that wants to escape me and then quickly – through my Binocucom – check to see if my communication with Carmelita and Cheren is still blocked off – before I say:  
"What you should know, Helena, is that when it comes to things like this, I am usually a very, very devout traditionalist. However, seeing as how I have more chance with you than with your dad at the current moment – I was secretly hoping that you would pick up on that little hint of mine instead of your gorgeous sister."  
The girl looks confused and I raise my eyebrow as I ask: "Surely you noticed how I have been leaving small tokens of my affection with Carmelita in her room for the past fortnight?" At this the girl nods and says: "I did. How did you even manage it last night? Cheren and I were sharing with Carmelita and we still didn't hear you."

Here I roll my eyes and says: "Even Bentley's best equipment can't detect me if I don't want it to. And trust me, he's been trying to develop equipment that can for as long as we have been working together. Now, would you care to guess what all these gifts have in common with each other, sweet older sister of my beloved?"  
Here the girl looks thoughtful and confused as I start digging out one of the first caves that she and the others had found on the way back after Carmelita had made her revelation and then, just when I have several of handfuls of gems and jewels plucked out of the cave that Helena gasps in shock and that Marcus arrives.  
The father looks at his sister, yet I decide to take my chance and jump down from the double ledge of which the higher one hid the cave with the gems and say: "Marcus, I just explained the situation of the last fortnight and its relevance to my little tease to her just now and now I would like to ask you and your eldest a single question."  
The man himself looks confused and curious whereas his daughter has eyes wide with shock and amazement and then I smile at the man and say: "I will admit that I have yet to find that which will equal all that your daughter means to me, however – once I do – do I have your and your daughter's permission – to marry Carmelita?"

And while Helena squeals in utter excitement, does something then happen that makes me instantly regret asking this here as her left foot lands wrong and lands outside the ledge we are standing on, causing for her to lose her balance and for her scream of excitement to get changed into one of life-threatening fear.  
Instantly I pull out my cane, attach the hook to a huge crooked bit of rock sticking out of a part of the mountain just above our path and reach out, grabbing hold of her flailing wrist with one hand while my other strengthens my grip to make sure I don't follow after her, yet even while I have her hand, does the rest of her slip.  
And just like that is her whole body hanging down the side of the edge and I silently curse myself for my stupidity to make this decision and ask a question of this magnitude in a situation like this, but just when I wonder why Marcus isn't helping me pull his daughter back on the ledge, do I hear him calling me and saying: "Ehm – Sly –."  
And when I look at him, do I see his face having blanched, yet he is not looking at us or even at me. Instead of that he is looking at the mountain top and when I look up, do feel like absolutely screaming out a slur of curses. Helena's scream has caused an avalanche to come down – and my cane is hooked into the front paw of a mountain lion.

 _ **Right side of the mountain  
**_ _ **Carmelita's POV**_

Mum has actually come in dad's place a few times to help us collect the treasure I have been able to get out of the mountain side crevices and caves and Cheren has already safely deposited the treasure he found in the trees and bushes in his tail, yet now both of us are looking at the mountain in utter shock over what we just heard.  
"That was – Helena, right? She – she sounded hyped up and – and then scared. What – what do you think happened?" I ask shocked and concerned and Cheren says: "I – I'm not sure, but – but mum said that dad had just left for them when she came here last so – so she has both dad and Sly to rely on. She's probably fine now."

At this I nod and ask: "So, want to try and take a look down there?" And we both take a glance down at the cliff that separates us from most of the small platforms that make up the pathway in front of us and I let my eyes swiftly roam over all of the pillars that stabilize the platforms before I look back at Cheren and say:  
"I think we can check at least four from the first row, but only two in the next row. How about you go through the ones I see are safe to check and I will keep to the mountain side so I can keep a clear vision of which pillars are sturdy enough for you to slide or climb up them? Does that sound alright with you, big brother?"

And Cheren happily nods before I motion for one of the pillars I feel sure can hold his weight and my brother jumps over, instantly wrapping his whole form, including his tail, around the pillar before he slides down, yet he stops almost at the bottom in shock before turning around the structure and sliding down a little further.  
He looks and while I stretch out my neck to have a better look at him, does he then smile and say: "We got jackpot down here. The whole thing is practically spewing with gems!" This makes me smile widely and I shout: "Throw them up. I'll catch them and hand them to mum!" And my brother instantly complies.  
Making sure not to jump onto any platform I don't believe is able to hold my weight, I use my arms and tail – and on time even my lush mane of hair – to catch the gems and while I actually bend my ears to keep hold of the gem in my hair, do I then return to the safe part of the route, just when mum arrives, looking horrified.

This worries me and I ask: "Mum, what – what's wrong?" And mum asks: "Where is Cheren?" And my brother answers: "I'm hording gems here, mum! Don't worry." And mum looks at him over the ledge as he jumps to another pillar I had pointed out, his hands and feet swiftly and thoroughly scouring the pillar for holes.  
Mum sighs in relief and I ask: "Mum – what happened?" And mum's answer is horrible: "Sly asked something of your father that shocked Helena into losing her balance and while her scream caused an avalanche on their side, did Sly try to save her, yet as he did, did he hook his cane into the front paw of an advancing mountain lion."

"OF A WHAT?" I ask in horror and I feel myself jumping up from where I had still been crouching over the edge, yet to my bad luck, do I land on exactly one of the pillars that can't hold my weight and while it takes me a second and the sound of rock cracking to realize this, does my realization come too late for me to respond.  
The pillar cracks under my weight and I try to reach out for another pillar with one arm, yet also reach for my cane with my other and with this one do I manage to plunge the hooked tip into a hole that is situated in one of the nearby pillars. Yet before I can breathe in relief, do I hear something else that makes my heart freeze.  
"AAAAH! HELP!" Instantly I look down and feel my heart sink down lower than this cliff as I see how part of the crumbling pillar has crushed Cheren's tail between it and two other pillars that have their starting base a little higher than the rest, while he himself is trying desperately to keep a larger bit of rock from crushing him.

"MUM, TRY AND GET MURRAY! I WILL TRY AND RELEASE CHEREN'S TAIL, BUT I NEED MURRAY'S STRENGTH TO MOVE THAT ROCK!" I shout orders and while mum makes sounds that prove she is besides herself with worry, do I still hear her footsteps fading, proving she is following my lead.  
I then – while worried for my brother and hating myself for my stupidity and rookie mistake – scan the rest of the pillars for other crevices and while my eyes spot a few with gems almost dropping out of them, do I ignore these for others that are empty and jump over to those, attaching my hook to them and dropping lower.  
I reach my brother and say: "Careful, Cheren. I am going to try and remove this boulder, but it might hurt a bit, okay? Make sure you move your tail as little as possible." To which Cheren mutters: "Thanks for the advice, sis, but I can barely move as it is. Ugh, ngh." And while I feel for him, do I then get to work.  
I stick my cane between the crashed boulder and one of the two pillars, yet as I try to separate them, do my eyes widen as I hear new sounds of rocks cracking and I look at the pillar I am trying to move, realizing that the only thing keeping it up is a lot of moss and grime and think: "If I try to separate these two, that pillar will tumble."

 _ **In the cave  
**_ _ **Murray's POV**_

The constant jumping in ball form has definitely left me a little bruised as a few times I either had hard gems land on me from the ceiling or I accidentally hit a pointed bit of rock sticking out, yet the biggest issue I am currently dealing with is that my ears are ringing with the sound I make whenever I crash against the rocky walls.  
Really hoping that Sophia can help me with this, do I wonder how much gold and other treasures the others are finding as they must be keeping her and Marcus very, very busy and while part of me wonders if I should change my plan from gem or treasure, do I then notice something that really confuses me.  
My jumps have been very consistent in strength, height and everything, yet for some reason it feels as if the ceiling has come a little closer to the floor and I try to slow down my jumps a little so I can lift my head out of the ball formation and see why this is, yet just then do I hear footsteps coming from outside the cave.

This relieves me until I see how frightened and worried Sophia looks as she comes running at me and instantly, while still in the air and near the ceiling, do I pull out of my ball form and land my full girth on the ground as I ask: "Mrs. Fox, what's the matter? The Murray's fine, you know, just a scratch or two here and there."  
Yet the woman shakes her head and says: "I'm not here on my mission, Murray, I'm here because Carmelita ordered me. There was an accident with Sly and Helena, which shocked an accident out of Cheren and Carmelita and now Cheren is stuck under a huge bit of boulder that is trying to crush him and Carmelita needs your HELP NOW!"

And instantly I feel my whole blood drain from my face and my body tense up as if I just got shot with a multitude of Bentley's Paralyzing darts before I ask: "What? But – but what happened with Sly? Is he alright? What of Helena?" But Sophia shakes her head and says: "Marcus is with them; he'll help them, go SAVE CHEREN!"  
And while I kind of feel as if there is something she isn't telling me, do I nod, yet as I take only a single step, do I then hear something other than the slight ringing in my ears from my jumps and the horrified near screams and shouts of Sophia as suddenly I hear a bit of rock falling from the ceiling, making me look up.

And only a second later do I shout: "LOOK OUT!" Jumping and pulling Sophia in my arms as I jump away from the now collapsing mountain cave entrance yet as the dust settles, do I instantly scramble for the closed off entrance and shout: "MASTER! MASTER, ARE YOU OKAY! WHERE ARE YOU MASTER! **MASTER!"  
** Only to actually hear his voice in my ear communicator speak and say: "Crisora! Hekema buo siphia." And I sigh in relief over the fact that he has actually found and used one of the emergency exits before I say: "That's the master safe. Now let's get Cheren from under that boulder and then we can go help Sly and Helena."

And Sophia nods at me, gratitude and heartfelt relief showing all over her face and making me feel stupid for not instantly going to her daughter and son's aid when she asked it of me. A few minutes later has she helped me descend down the pillar road and with ease do I take hold of the boulder that almost crushes Cheren.  
The boulder that is holding his tail is still there, yet Carmelita is still busy breaking the second pillar down from top to bottom and just after I have thrown the boulder down into the ravine far away from the pillar platform, does she crumble the last bit of pillar with her cane before using it as a lever to lift up the smaller boulder.  
Cheren happily pulls his tail out and while trying to caress out any possible creases – and probably rubbing the sore part – of his tail, does he say: "Thanks you guys, I really don't know how much longer I could have hold it out down there." And we both nod before we all climb back up through sturdier pillars.

Yet when we are back on the mountain edge besides the pillars, does Carmelita say: "We need to go. Sly is trying to keep Helena from falling down the cliff she slipped on and he's dealing with both an avalanche and a mountain lion to booth." And instantly I whiten before dashing for the other side of the mountain like never before.  
And my unexpected burst of speed proves highly necessary as – while Marcus has managed to break a large bit of rock into a shelter against the ongoing avalanche – the mountain lion is actually fighting Sly and his cane, albeit it being with one of its front paws bleeding with a huge gaping hole in the middle of it.  
Then I see blood coming from the cane, yet the only reason I spot this is because the gold flashes past the mountain lion in a missed hit and Sly cries out as the beast's paw strikes his front at the shoulder, yet while I admire my brother in all but blood for actually still holding onto Helena, do I also see him losing his cane in the process.

And to my utter anger does the mountain lion seem intelligent enough to be devious as it actually swipes the cane away from Sly with its tail before it hunches down, yet instantly I dahs over again, moving myself in a familiar position and pushing the pounding beast away with my shoulder just when it tries to strike.  
The lion roars in shock, yet I smirk as I manage to push it exactly where I want it, causing for a small gust of dust to cloud over and when it settles, do we all see the mountain lion stuck between two bits of the two mountains, exactly where I had to climb up to a higher ledge to make my way across and roaring and hissing furiously.  
Yet the beast is unable to escape and then I notice how some of the rocks that are falling away from us look broken, making me look up just when Sly manages to pull Helena back onto the ledge and just when Marcus swipes his cane through the last boulder falling down, breaking it in two and making it fall away from me.

I smile at the man and then say: "Let's go, guys. Bentley must be worrying his shell off of his body by now." And everyone nods before Sly says: "I think we need to call this mission off. There are too many dangerous obstacles for this to continue working. We should just try and increase the danger level so others will avoid this place."  
We all nod and then head back. And once inside the Cabin I get proven right as Bentley is all over us, checking every one of us, including the master who has apparently managed to arrive before we did and who only has a small bandage covering a part of his arm. Then, when Bentley is done worrying, does Sophia step in.  
She pulls out all of the medical supplies she mentioned this morning and she starts patching us up. Yet as she does, do I look at my leader as something about all this feels off and I ask: "Sly? What happened? I heard that an accident happened with you and Helena, which caused an accident to happen with Cheren and Carmelita.  
But you're always the most careful of us when we're dealing with situations like this, so – what happened?" Yet while I ask this, can I not help but notice that Cheren, the master and Carmelita seem just as confused, while Bentley, Sophia and Marcus already seem to be in the know and Sly sighs before he says:

"I messed up, Murray. I thought I could make use of our situation and underestimated the level of danger this area posed and I slacked off and focused on a topic I never should have addressed in a place like this. I endangered Helena and for that, I'm sorry. Helena, Marcus, just forget I asked. I'm clearly not ready yet."  
And while I wonder what the heck it is that I missed, does Marcus say: "You did not mess up, Sly. You merely focused more on your own levels of experience than ours. Which, even with this being a Master Thief Heist and not an Interpol case, really shouldn't have mattered as much seeing as how I explore areas like this all the time.  
Or, at least I used to. I stopped that a year ago and it shows. And Helena has been so overloaded by Barkley that she has also lost her touch, that much is very, very clear. You're not the one that failed, Sly, we just overestimated ourselves and got cocky. We should have paid better attention to our surroundings and we didn't."

Yet Sly doesn't seem convinced and then Sophia says: "We'll just talk about this later. Maybe – when we're back at the Hide Out?" And Sly nods, yet Carmelita, Cheren and I share a confused look as we just can't understand what these three are talking about – or why Sly looks so down about not being ready for something.

 _ **A week later  
**_ _ **The Hide Out, Paris  
**_ _ **Murray's POV**_

In the end, the Master, Marcus and Sophia stayed behind in the mountains with Bentley as the master could keep wildlife away from the two and Marcus' canes made him both swift on his feet and able to dash between all kinds of platforms and surroundings easily. And whatever scratches he did get, Sophia patched them right up.  
The Master definitely worked hard on keeping beasts like the still injured but now freed mountain lion away from Sophia and Marcus, yet Marcus also constantly made sure to utterly destroy any evidence of there having been gems, treasure, crevices or caves anywhere he went as well as make his surroundings more dangerous.  
Helena, Cheren and Carmelita had definitely not liked this and had been clustered to Bentley's monitors the entire time it took the master and their parents to clear out all of the treasure and while the Master ended it all by completely emptying the cave where it all began, did he then use his powers for an overextended amount of time.  
And this was because he hid all of the gems and treasure with his concealing powers for an entire flight and train ride, the flight taking them from the Himalaya to the south of Paris and the train ride taking them to the other side of town, where I happily picked them up with my van and then took a detour to the Hideout.

This all took two days, yet after that – for some strange reason – did Marcus and Sophia lock themselves into Sly's room with our leader and while part of me felt relieved as Sly hadn't left his room since arrival, do I also wonder what they could know that could do what we could not; have Sly leave his room.  
And by now, four days later, am I starting to wonder if they even can as they didn't come down even once after spending some time with their kids to alleviate the others' worries and then locking themselves up in Sly's room, yet then something happens that takes all of my attention and worry away from my leader.

"We interrupt this live performance of the finale of the Voice of France to bring you this important news update. Famous Politician Edward Illegard has had a near fatal accident during his attempt to, once again, reveal the mountain cave that had been rumored to have been uncovered a little under a month ago now.  
Mr. Illegard had been trying all sorts of methods to find the cave, yet when he had believed to have found the entrance, did it lead to a second cave in that nearly killed the poor man and caused him to become injured to the chest through a falling bit of rock that broke and fractured several bones in his upper chest area.  
Mr. Illegard is currently in the finest, private Hospital of Kathmandu and his assistant has already met with the leader of Nepalese President, the Minister of Culture and the Worldwide Nature Foundation and both have agreed to mark this bit of mountain area in the Himalaya as unsafe and forbidden from tourists and citizens alike.  
Mr. Illegard has been stated not to be in any critical condition, yet the doctors treating him have confirmed that, due to his bad health, he will probably miss next month's election due to his current comatose state and the healing procedure he will have to go through once he wakes up. We will report back with more news as it comes."

And while this shocks us, do I then mutter: "Gosh Master, maybe you and Marcus worked a little too well on clearing that area." Yet instead of the master, does a very familiar and well-missed voice speak up and say: "At least now we can be sure that no one who doesn't have our experience will try and reach that dangerous place anymore."  
And when we look up, do we see Sly, who looks better than I expected for not having been out of his room for over a week, but then I see how his fur is slightly dripping and while I feel stupid for not having heard the shower running, does Carmelita launch herself at her beloved while Bently smiles at Marcus and Sophia and asks:  
"Finally got him convinced of his innocence, did you?" And again I feel like I am missing something major before something happens that utterly shocks me. After breaking her kiss, does Carmelita whisper two words that cause a silence unlike any other – even the one in the boutique so long ago – to ring through us all:

"Marry me." Bentley's mouth drops and so do the mouths of Marcus and Sophia, while the statement leaves Cheren, Helena, the master and me wide eyed and then Carmelita makes it worse as she says: "I am not spending another day not by your side. Marry me or by my raging instincts I will claim you as mine, Sly Cooper."  
And this seems to clear up Sly's shock, yet his response is definitely not what I had expected as he and Marcus actually burst out laughing, shocking us all before Sophia says: "As traditional as your new husband is, you really are not, are you dear?" Yet while this confuses me, does Carmelita get shocked and asks:  
"Wait, traditional? _Husband_?" And while I wonder if she really meant her stated proposal or if it were just her hormones, does Marcus stop laughing and say: "That is what took us the whole week. We were both busy convincing Sly he didn't cause our accident and setting up an agreement for you to be wed officially.  
And before you start, dear, the agreement wasn't because Sly is so traditional, it was so that no cops or Interpol could try and stop the wedding. These are contracts that any Auditor would pay several vaults to get their hands on and that's why we have been so busy this week setting them up. Though we really didn't expect this response."

And with that Sly almost hisses: "Not that I care really." And the kiss that he then plunges onto Carmelita's lips silences any possible yelp she could have uttered and makes even Marcus and Sophia turn around in slight embarrassment as it is more than obvious that it wasn't just Carmelita who had been dealing with raging hormones.  
"You will be mine tonight. And you will be my bride, my gorgeous." Sly states and while I can barely believe that he is practically commanding Carmelita to marry him, does the girl herself seem not to care even a bit as she instead starts to smirk, starts to actually caress Sly's tail and hiss back: "As long as you're only mine, Ringtail."  
And with that do I think: "Are those two even going to make it to the wedding night?" Yet while just looking at them makes me know that that is definitely not going to be the case, do I then decide to join in on the romantic fun as I ask: "Hey Helena, would you care being my date to the wedding?" Shocking the girl senseless.

 _ **And there we go.  
**_ _ **Okay, I am going to need YOUR OPINION HERE! In my eyes, I wrapped up this story just fine and the only thing we might go over in the epilogue would be the wedding, maybe a bit of Murray-Helena romance and a way for Urmilla to fit into it all, which will probably be through the wedding as well.  
**_ _ **I don't really see any other loose ends and I'm not even sure if such topics will even make for a proper chapter. Personally I find that I have left the story just fine, even though I might add a bit of summary of the wedding later, though I sincerely doubt that. So, if you think the story is incomplete, LET ME KNOW!  
**_ _ **Thanks in advance,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro.  
**_ _ **PPS. Yes, everything the Guru uttered was utter gibberish. I just typed in random letters and went with it. Sue me.**_


	16. A Perfect Date Night

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **So I decided on an epilogue after all, however it won't be like anything you would have probably expected. Instead of focusing on Sly and Carmelita or their wedding, I decided on the other pairing that I had been slightly hinting at on and off again throughout the story and that made me feel as if last chapter didn't finish the story.  
**_ _ **Have fun, y'all,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro**_

* * *

 _ **A few weeks later  
**_ _ **Murray's POV**_

I feel happier than I have done since Sly came out of his room, yet I also feel heavily, heavily worried and part of me wonders how Sly can so calmly be preparing for his wedding when I feel like curling into my ball form just over the fact that, tonight, I will be partaking in the first date between myself and my new girlfriend.  
Helena had definitely been shocked that I had asked her to be my date for the wedding, yet she had, after getting over her shock, turned slightly red and even started giggling before she had nodded at me, making me feel exhilarated before Sly had advised me to have a few dates before then so we could prepare for the wedding.

Since then things have been pretty calm; Sly and Carmelita had definitely spend that same night together, yet after that Carmelita had insisted on switching rooms and move in with Sly. Sly himself had tried objecting to this, yet Carmelita had proven she had the deviousness of a true thief in her counter-argument.  
She had first played with Sly's attraction to her by moving towards him with a sultry move to her pace and had then used his strongest weak point – his tail – against him to convince him into agreeing with her desires. Bentley had been shocked, yet Helena and Cheren had shared in my amusement over how whipped our leader was.  
That night Helena had made things even funnier as she had passed my own room and told me that she and Cheren wondered who would be bedding who on the wedding night and I had laughed hard before agreeing with her. She had then winked at me and just that single wink had made me feel all the happier with our future together.

"And that future now feels so far away, even though it might just start tonight." Goes through my mind, making me gulp and look down, hating yet again how there are just absolutely no stores in all of France that actually make pants in my size as it makes me feel as if I am just too underdressed for what might happen tonight.  
Luckily enough, do I still have a pair of pants that belong to a diving suit of mine and Bentley had managed to die them black, yet even though I now have a pair of pants I can put on, do I still feel as if it's just not right as you can clearly see that the fabric is made for water activities and not a fancy dinner at the park.

"Oh god, I really hope I don't disappoint her. I really hope Sly told her of my problem. I really hope Marcus and Sophia took good care of the date location. I really hope I don't mess up this date somehow. I really hope I can continue to win her heart. I really hope she doesn't just want to be and stay friends. I really hope –."

Goes through my mind, but then I hear a male voice say: "I really hope you just get your old self-confidence back already, old pal." And when I turn around in shock, do I see Sly leaning against my doorframe with an amused, confident smile on his face and he asks: "She agreed to come to my wedding with you, didn't she?"  
Here I nod, while that alone doesn't do much to ease the nerves in my system and then Sly stands and walks over, slapping me on the shoulder as he asks: "So then, why worry about a simple date? Doesn't that agreement prove that you already have her heart?" And instantly I feel like hitting myself on the head for my own stupidity.  
Instead of that do I smile at my best friend and the Raccoon nods back at me as he says: "See, nothing to worry about. Besides, has Helena even giving you any indication that she has high expectations of this date?" At this I shake my head and say: "I should just be myself, shouldn't I?" And Sly nods agreeing as I say: "Thanks pal."

 _ **An hour later  
**_ _ **Secret location, park  
**_ _ **Helena's POV**_

"Ugh, I hate my mum right now. Why the heck did she think I had to wear a dress as fancy as this on just a simple first date? Murray and I have known each other for months, why does she think this date will change anything? Surely Murray asked me because he noticed how I had an eye on him? Why did she not get that?"  
Goes through my mind as I stand at the edge of a small clearing that has a gorgeous high table for two set with fine china and where, on the other side from where I stand, I can see Bentley working on a meal between the trees, his glasses reflecting the small burner he is using to cook the food Murray and I will be enjoying.  
Murray had actually wanted to cook the dinner himself, yet Bentley and dad had teamed up and overwhelmed him by saying he should be enjoying the date, not cooking food. At this alone I want to shake my head as I would have actually thought it a very thoughtful gesture if the huge hippo would cook us our first date meal.

"Seriously, it's as if I'm going on a date with my parents and Bentley instead of Murray. Next time we plan a date, we will do it in secret." Goes through my mind, but then I hear something that makes me groan as I look down and see that my hands have been causing all kinds of creases over the bottom of my fancy dress.  
"Mum is going to kill me." Goes through my mind, but then I shake my head and think: "Why the heck am I worrying about that on my first date? Honestly, Murray doesn't even seem like the type of guy who cares about how I look or what my outfit looks like, so why should I?" And as I think that, do I hear something.

A soft rumbling of what I can only assume is a van of which the engine has been equipped with a muffler sounds to be coming closer and then I hear a door slamming, which I can only assume is Murray arriving, the sound making me wonder if he got just as annoyed with my parents and the others as I currently feel.  
Yet then I get the answer as I actually see Murray stumbling over his own two feet, making him trip over a small simple tree root and instantly, to my utter shock, Bentley is over with him and says: "Murray, really? What is wrong with you? Sophia is going to kill you. Are there any stains on those pants? Let me see."  
And with that have I reached my limit of what I can take in regards to this date and with my dress skirt crunched between my hands, do I march over to the two and snarl at Bentley: "For goodness sake, who is dating who here?" Shocking the two men as I then help Murray back on his feet and ask: "Are you okay?"

The Hippo nods, a bit of a blush on his face, but upon closer inspection do I see that the blush actually isn't Murray's natural color and I hit myself on the head as I ask: "Mum got to you, didn't she?""You mind?" Murray asks and I sigh as I open the strapped purse I have on my arm and pull out a few hankies from it.  
I then lick one of them and move it across Murray's face, wiping away the blush my mum stupidly put on his cheeks and then another voice speaks and says: "I actually just got his confidence back and then Sophia and Marcus took over. If I hadn't shot a smokeball at them, we might have actually been late. And Bentley, get to the van."

"But I haven't finished dinner yet." The turtle exclaims, yet Sly makes my night as he says: "No, and this isn't your date." Voicing my earlier thoughts and while Bentley cringes, does he then start grumbling as he rolls his wheelchair into the forest and after we watch him all leave, does Sly turn to us and say:  
"I'll go see if I can talk some sense into those three. If needed, I can always get them to go crazy over the wedding – even if I think Carm-love will stop either me or them if that happens." And while I want to hug my leader in gratitude, does Murray say it all as he smiles widely and sends Sly a large thumbs' up to which Sly nods in understanding.

The raccoon then leaves us and Murray says: "You go sit down, okay? I'll go – ehm – check on dinner." I nod at him and say: "Sorry my mum tried using you for a mannequin." But Murray just smiles at me awkwardly and says: "Sorry I got so worried about this date that I didn't fight them for control rights."  
And I giggle at this before I focus back on my dress, yet when I try to wipe the creases out, does Murray stop me and says: "Don't, it suits you." Making me smile at him and then I look down and ask: "Are those – diving pants?" And Murray turns red as he says: "They are. They – ehm – they're the only ones that fit me."  
And while this shocks me at first, do I then smile and say: "They suit you." Making the hippo practically glow with the smile that grows on his face and while I look amusedly down at my slightly crinkled dress, do I move over to the table, feeling that the fine china and the candelabra give off exactly enough of a romantic feel.  
"Seriously, a date between a fighter hippo and a fox that is specialized in offense and defensive fights and if you look here, you'd think this is a practice run for someone's debutante ball or something." I then look down and mutter: "I sure as heck look the part." Before sighing and sitting down at the seat that has my name on it.

A few minutes later, Murray comes over with several plates balancing on his large muscles and while this makes me smile, do I also think: "Those three really just got this date all wrong." And then I giggle as Murray says: "Those three really just got this date all wrong. They had things like caviar and small salads standing ready."  
I giggle as I hear how ridiculous the hippo thinks this and I ask: "So, I guess that's not what's one the plates you have?" And the Hippo says: "No ma'am, Sly actually had some groceries in the back of the van and took it with him when we came here. So instead, I present 2 cups of fresh mushroom soup and a bit of French bread."  
This makes me sigh as that sounds far more like normal food on a simple first date and while Murray sets the table, do I say: "You'd think they're preparing the courting date between two royals or something with what they had in mind." Murray laughs at this and says: "Yeah, they went way over their heads with _our_ date."

And while the way that he says that makes me fight against a bit of a blush, do I then focus back on dinner, yet before I take my first sip of the soup, does Murray say: "You look really pretty tonight, you know." And I smile at him as I say: "Thank you, Murray, and you look dashing too – with our without the diving pants."  
And while the Hippo turns red, do I giggle at him to prove I was just joking and the hippo happily joins in as we laugh together before starting to eat, talking about small simple things and making another few jabs at how ridiculous Bentley, mum and dad took this date. Then Murray takes the plates and moves back into the woods.  
I watch him go and think: "And they thought this would be something that would ruin the date. I just think it's thoughtful, really. Do they even know us?" Yet then I decide that I have focused enough of this date on the ridiculousness of my parents and Murray's best friend and lie my focus back where it actually belongs; with Murray.

 _ **Back at the Hide-Out  
**_ _ **Sly's POV**_

"You have got to be kidding me." My darling fiancé snarls as she hears me telling her where I had been and why I had been gone for longer than she had expected as she knew only of me going to comfort Murray and I shake my head at her before she turns her furious form at her parents and Bentley and asks:  
"Have you three gone crazy or something?" To which her mum says: "We just wanted them to have a proper date." To which Carmelita groans, whereas I just roll my eyes as this isn't the first time I heard that argument over the last few weeks and then my beloved asks: "Why would Murray want a proper date over a fun date?"

"Proper can still be fun." Her dad says, but Carmelita snarls: "Not for Murray! He's nothing like that! He's not Sly!" And while this makes me swell with pride, do I then say: "And Helena is not much different. Yes, she could easily act like a proper lady for certain missions, I have no doubt, but that's not her.  
The whole reason she and Murray fit so well is because they can both _act_ like proper people for certain missions, but they would only be able to do so for a certain amount of time and only if it has a deeper, _mission-based_ purpose. Doing it for the sake of them having fun? That's not them." I try to emphasize the last three words.

"Are you saying you know our daughter better than us?" Sophia suddenly asks and while I wonder why she would even think that, does Carmelita defend me as she says: "No, he says that you are getting so into the _date_ aspect of this all, you're forgetting _who_ the dates are." And while this shocks the two, do I turn to Bentley.  
I then pull something out of the bag I had taken with me and ask: "Filet mignon with a miniature bay leaf? Who the heck did you think you were cooking for?""Why did you take that with you? That was the main!" Bentley practically screams and Carmelita groans as she looks at how high-class the plate and dish look before another voice says:

"We preferred the tagliatelle with salmon and spinach more, thank you." And we all look at the entrance where Cheren, Helena and Murray are standing and I feel like snickering at how ruffled the latter two look and instantly Sophia asks: "What happened to you two? Look – look – look at you! Look at your outfits."  
And Cheren says: "Yeah, they look like they had fun! Oh, how horrible." And his sarcasm makes me try to hold back some snickers as Murray says: "We just ate the meals Sly left for us, had a lot of fun talking and then got to some joking as we cleaned up, which turned into us sparring a little on our way back to the van.  
By the way, thanks for picking us up, Cheren." The Hippo says and Cheren shrugs as he says: "I could tell that mum, dad and Bentley would be in their unreasonable moods and didn't really feel like sticking around. You both looked hilarious, by the way, when you came out of those woods, Helena trying to make Murray surrender."

"I almost got him too – didn't I?" Helena asks unsurely and while I can hear Sophia sputter over the idea of her daughter sparring with her date on her date, does Murray smile at her as he pulls her close against his form and lovingly tells her: "Best sparring partner I ever had. Sorry Sly." Yet I shrug and happily tell him:  
"No problem, pall. If she's as great as you say, it'll just make her even more perfect for you. Besides, tell me the truth. How great did you feel trying to sweep her off her feet?" And the way that Murray's smile widens and covers his whole face as I ask him that tells me everything I need to know and I say: "There you go."

Helena then giggles in a bit of embarrassment and says: "You really trained him great in that, Sly. What with you going after my sister for years. Murray knew exactly what he had to say to make me feel special all throughout the date. It was brilliant all throughout. Thanks for a great night, Sly. You too, Murray."  
I nod at her and Murray happily asks for her hand as he leads her up to the bedrooms, her words having stopped her mother from sputtering and when the two are gone, does Bentley ask: "I – I don't get it. Why – why did she – why did she thank Sly?" And Carmelita groans in disbelief before Cheren comes over and says:  
"Because Sly kept one thing in mind while he comforted Murray and while he switched your high-class dinner for Murray and Helena's simple meals." The three planners look at the younger fox with confused looks and Carmelita says: "Sly kept in mind who's date this was." And the three turn red, finally getting the message.

This makes me roll my eyes, but then I look at Carmelita and say: "Love, promise me one thing." My fiancé nods as she looks at me and I say: "If these three try with our wedding what they tried with Murray's date – that we'll flee and elope." And while the other three look shocked, does Carmelita giggle and say:  
"I was thinking the same thing. You got yourself a deal, Ringtail." And while I feel like I properly warned my future in-laws and best friend about their over-excessive behavior, do I happily wrap my arm around my future wife's waist and move her over to the staircase, ready to cuddle with her in bed and call it a night.

A perfect date night.

 _ **The end**_

* * *

 _ **And there we have it.  
**_ _ **I will admit, it's not all that long, yet I had a lot of fun and I feel like the story is much better finished now. Murray and Helena grew properly close, a bit of Sly Cooper craziness was thrown into the end of the mix and Sly proved that he knows his biggest friend as well as his sister-in-law to be better than others.  
**_ _ **Now I will be honest with you; this time the story really is over and done with. I have no interest in writing the wedding, that happened with True Family and I don't feel like ending two stories with a similar plot. There might be a sequel – read**_ _ **might**_ _ **– but for now, consider the story finished and the pairings happily ever after.  
**_ _ **Sorry, I had to,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
PS. Credits go to Kitty Petro.  
**_


End file.
